Peace River Regional District REPORT
To: Chair and Directors Date: December 15, 2016
From: Bryna Casey, Parks and Rural Recreation Coordinator
Subject: Funding Support for the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
RECOMMENDATION(S): That the Regional Board support the City of Dawson Creek and the City of Fort St. John with a grant of $100,000 from the “Grants to Community Organizations” function, to be allocated in the 2017 budget, for the purpose of holding the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which will be taking place in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John between October 26 to November 4, 2017.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: The City of Fort St. John and the City of Dawson Creek have been chosen to co-host the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2017, after the success of the same event in 2015. In its November 24th Regional Board meeting, the cities requested funding support of $100,000 from the Regional District to assist with the costs of the event (grant application attached). At this meeting, it was reported that this event brought $5.9 million into the province, with $2.7 million of that coming directly to Dawson Creek and $1.2 million coming into Fort St. John. In 2016, both host cities confirmed their contributions of $100,000 each to the event.
The Regional District has a history of supporting Hockey Canada events in the Peace Region and has done so or committed to do so on three occasions. 1. The Regional District supported the 2012 National Women’s Under-18 Championship with a grant of $5,500 to the City of Dawson Creek. 2. In 2014, $150,000 was committed to the 2016 IIHF U18 Women’s World Hockey Championship ($50,000 over three years), though the region was not chosen to host the event and money was never paid out. 3. In 2015, the Regional District provided a grant for $75,000 for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge which was hosted jointly between the City of Dawson Creek and the City of Fort St. John.
Tournament games will take place at the Encana Events Centre and the North Peace Arena. There may be an opportunity to host two exhibition games outside of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John prior to the start of the tournament. The final game will be televised on TSN with the other games being webcast. This tournament will provide a great opportunity to showcase our region nationally and internationally as teams will be coming from the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, and the United States as well as three from Canada.
There are other benefits to hosting this event, such as; 1. Hockey development opportunities will exist including coaching and referee clinics and development programs and events for our local Minor Hockey Associations prior to and during the event. 2. Minor Hockey Associations throughout the region will have an opportunity to sell 50-50 tickets. In 2015, around $50,000 was raised for these associations.
Staff Initials: Dept. Head: CAO: Page 1 of 2 Report – Chair and Directors December 15, 2016 Page 2 of 2
3. If the event is successful, event sponsors may receive access to a legacy fund to be used for the continued promotion of sport in the region. From the 2015 event, the Regional District is set to receive $7,500.
OPTIONS: The Regional District could choose to provide a grant at a different amount.
STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: None
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): Staff recommend that financial contributions be authorized from the “Grants to Community Organizations” function as a Special Event Grant and as a separate line item to be allocated/provided with pre-budget approval in the 2017 budget.
COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): Staff will work with event coordinators to ensure that the PRRD’s contribution is recognized throughout the event.
OTHER CONSIDERATION(S):
Attachments: Special Event Grant Application (including financial statements from the 2015 event and draft budget for 2017 event)
PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT Grants to Community Organizations - Special Event Grant Application Form -
Name of Organization: ______
Address ______(include postal code):
Name of Contact Person: ______
Telephone Number: ______
Email address: ______
Society Registration #: ______
Name of Event: ______
Type of Event: ______
Grant request amount: $______
Has your organization applied for funding from another source? Yes ______No ______
Who will it serve: ______
How many will attend: ______
What is economic benefit to area: ______
______
______
This application must include the previous year’s financial statements, if available, and an event budget.
The applicant must submit within ninety (90) days of event completion a final financial statement for the event.
OFFICE USE ONLY:
Amount approved: $______GL Code: ______
Date: ______
2010 2017 World U17 Hockey Challenge DRAFT City of Dawson Creek & City of Fort St John Budget to Actual 2015
REVENU (Sorted Numeric/Alpha) 2015 BUDGET 2015 ACTUAL 2015 IN KIND B VS A % 2017 DRAFT Budget R1 50/50 & Beverage $ 7,500.00 $ 70,612.15 $ - $ (63,112.15) 941% $ - R2 Merchandise Sales $ - Hockey Canada Sales (20%) $ 3,500.00 $ 7,767.65 $ - $ (4,267.65) 222% $ 5,000.00 Government Other - Sales $ 10,750.00 $ 13,850.00 $ - $ (3,100.00) 129% $ - PRRD R3 Government Funding $ 375,000.00 $ 342,380.97 $ - $ 32,619.03 91% $ 360,000.00 City of DC R4 Hockey Canada $ 50,000.00 $ 50,000.00 $ - $ - 100% $ 50,000.00 City of FSJ R5 Corporate Funding $ 175,000.00 $ 250,952.41 $ 41,843.30 $ (75,952.41) 143% $ 200,000.00 MD of Saddle Hills R6 BC Hockey $ 5,000.00 $ - $ - $ 5,000.00 0% $ - Gov BC R7 Canadian Hockey League $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 $ - $ - 100% $ - R8 Minor Hockey (DC/FSJ) $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 $ - $ - 100% $ 10,000.00 R9 Program Sales $ 800.00 $ 4,912.39 $ - $ (4,112.39) 614% $ 3,000.00 R10 Tickets $ 220,940.00 $ 330,888.00 $ - $ (109,948.00) 150% $ 250,000.00 R11 Pre Event Venue Rentals $ 7,000.00 $ - $ - $ 7,000 0% $ - R12 Other (STEAM - HC, SPEDC $ 5,000.00 $ 16,264.97 $ - $ (11,265) 325% $ 5,000.00 Total $ 870,490 $ 1,097,628.54 $ 41,843.30 $ (227,138.54) 126% $ 883,000.00
EXPENSE (Sorted Numeric/Alpha) 2015 BUDGET 2015 ACTUAL 2015 IN KIND B VS A % 2017 DRAFT Budget E1 Accommodations $ 224,400.00 $ 231,116.28 $ - $ (6,716.28) 103% $ 230,000.00 E2 Accreditation $ 1,500.00 $ 952.30 $ - $ 547.70 63% $ - E3 Administration $ 2,000.00 $ 9,018.92 $ - $ (7,018.92) 451% $ 10,000.00 E4 Advertising/Promotion $ 24,000.00 $ 29,046.28 $ 2,000.00 $ (5,046.28) 121% $ 35,000.00 E5 Facility Rental/Costs Encana Event Centre $ 75,000.00 $ 83,325.00 $ - $ (8,325.00) 111% $ 90,000.00 North Peace Arena $ 51,960.00 $ 60,460.00 $ - $ (8,500.00) 116% $ 65,000.00 E6 Insurance $ 5,000.00 $ 4,603.50 $ - $ 396.50 92% $ 5,000.00 E7 Hockey Canada - Pre-Even $ 7,000.00 $ (6,825.00) $ - $ 13,825.00 -98% $ - E8 Hockey Canada - Steering $ 1,000.00 $ - $ - $ 1,000.00 0% $ - E9 Laundry & Towel Service $ 1,000.00 $ - $ 3,500.00 $ 1,000.00 0% $ 3,500.00 E10 Meals (Team) $ 202,500.00 $ 205,751.07 $ 7,500.00 $ (3,251.07) 102% $ 225,500.00 E11 Medical $ 10,000.00 $ 10,939.06 $ - $ (939.06) 109% $ 10,000.00 E12 Merchandizing (hats - earl $ 12,500.00 $ 13,626.88 $ - $ (1,126.88) 109% $ - E13 Officials Costs $ 46,510.00 $ 36,926.85 $ - $ 9,583.15 79% $ 45,000.00 E14 Officials - Games Fees $ 10,400.00 $ 7,480.00 $ - $ 2,920.00 72% $ 10,000.00 E15 Office Expenses $ 1,000.00 $ 1,071.03 $ - $ (71.03) 107% $ 1,000.00 E16 Players & Officials (Snacks $ 2,000.00 $ 1,453.50 $ 5,000.00 $ 546.50 73% $ - E17 Printing $ 2,000.00 $ (2,000.00) $ 2,343.30 $ 4,000.00 -100% $ 2,000.00 E18 Servicing Costs (VIP, Sponsors$ 36,500.00 $ 25,465.13 $ - $ 11,034.87 70% $ 25,000.00 E19 Signage & Pageantry $ 10,000.00 $ - $ - $ 10,000.00 0% $ 7,000.00 E20 Special Events $ 3,500.00 $ 310.27 $ - $ 3,189.73 9% $ 3,500.00 E21 STEAM (Impact Assessmen $ 10,000.00 $ 4,500.00 $ - $ 5,500.00 45% $ 10,000.00 E22 Transportation $ 100,000.00 $ 94,863.48 $ 13,000.00 $ 5,136.52 95% $ 100,000.00 E23 Venue Improvements $ 30,000.00 $ 47,778.82 $ 6,000.00 $ (17,778.82) 159% $ 20,000.00 E24 Volunteers Volunteer Apparel $ 15,000.00 $ 18,072.68 $ 2,500.00 $ (3,072.68) 120% $ 15,000.00 Meals $ 5,000.00 $ 7,150.06 $ - $ (2,150.06) 143% $ 8,000.00 Windup $ 4,000.00 $ 1,915.79 $ - $ 2,084.21 48% $ 2,000.00 E25 Contingency $ 15,000.00 $ 16,568.84 $ - $ (1,568.84) 110% $ - Total $ 908,770 $ 903,570.74 $ 41,843.30 $ 5,199.26 99% $ 922,500.00
Surplus/Deficit $ (38,280) $ 194,058 $ (232,338) $ (39,500) Less Revenue - 50/50 - DC Minor Hockey-Leg $ (21,216.25) Less Revenue - 50/50 - FSJ Minor Hockey-Leg $ (28,882.75) Less Beverage Sales - FSJ Flyer-Legacy $ (20,513.15) Plus GST Rebate@100% $ 16,151 Less Hockey Canada's Revenue Sharing $ (25,000)
Total $ 114,597 Fort St John - Share $ (19,140) $ 57,298.31 $ (116,169) Dawson Creek - Share $ (19,140) $ 57,298.31 $ (116,169) D-2
October 31, 2016
Peace River Regional District Directors PO box 810 1981 Alaska Avenue Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8
Re: 2017 World U17 Men’s Hockey Challenge
Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League and BC Hockey is currently finalizing a contract with Dawson Creek and Fort St. John to co-host the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge from October 26 to November 4, 2017. The World’s best young hockey talents will once again gather in Northeastern British Columbia to participate in this world class event.
The World U17 Men’s Hockey Challenge includes three Canadian teams and five international entries (Finland, Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic and the United States) and showcases the future stars of the game. Since the first World Under- 17 Hockey Challenge (then known as the Quebec Esso Cup) in 1986, more than 1,400 NHL draft picks have played in the tournament, including 11 of the last 14 first-overall selections. Only the World Junior Championship can claim greater participation by future NHL stars; the event is widely regarded internationally and is very prestigious. The winning combination of fan access to extremely talented hockey players, international exposure for the region and Province, local enthusiasm and hosting capacity , and the boost provided by scores of appreciative fans point to another success again in 2017.
Due to its prestige and calibre, the event attracts the attention of the hockey world and is typically held in much larger markets (Major Junior A communities and larger centres). The popularity of the event has led to it outgrowing the smaller community’s organizational abilities, venue size and infrastructure for the most part. The financial opportunities (ticket sales, corporate sales) that exist in the Major Junior “A” markets are tough to replicate in smaller communities as well. However, the success of the 2015 event has resulted in an opportunity for us to repeat as hosts of this prestigious event in 2017.
It is early to identify all of the specifics until the contracts are finalized; however we would be thrilled to once again create a partnership with the Peace River Regional District for this event. The event organizing committee at this time is seeking a financial commitment of a $100,000 grant to assist the committees to plan, market and host the event, ensuring we meet and exceed the requirements within the contractual agreement with Hockey Canada.
Once again, we want to thank you for taking the time to review this proposal and we look forward to talking with you in the near future to discuss this partnership opportunity.
Yours truly,
Barry Reynard Wally Ferris City of Dawson Creek City of Fort St. John Box 150, 10631 – 100th St Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4G4 Fort St, John, BC. V1J 3Z5 [email protected] [email protected] 250-784-3636 250-787-8150
November 24, 2016 D-211/2/2016
November 24, 2016 1 D-211/2/2016
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Baked the Cake…met and exceeded expectations • Vision…councils…organizing committees…volunteers…Hockey Canada and City staff • Tremendous experience and leadership • Marketing plan, ticketing strategy, event operation experience of the Encana Event Centre …PRICELESS • Budgets to Actuals…Strong Municipal, Regional and Provincial support….exceeded Corporate/Sponsorship and ticket revenues • 722 K Accommodations, Facility rentals, Team meals, Officials and Transportation • 50K 50-50 revenues to DCMHA and FSJMHA • Financial accountability…transparent and efficient • Outstanding COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND PRIDE
November 24, 2016 2 D-211/2/2016
ECONOMIC IMPACT PROVINCIAL $5.9 Million DAWSON CREEK $2.7 Million FORT ST. JOHN $1.2 Million
November 24, 2016 3 D-211/2/2016
STATS & FACTS
• TOTAL EVENT ATTENDANCE • 30,987 • TOTAL TSN VIEWERS (3 GAMES) • 103,000 • VIDEO VIEWS (STREAMING) • 251,787 • WEBSITE PAGEVIEWS • 632,353
November 24, 2016 4 D-211/2/2016
STATS & FACTS
• TWITTER LINK CLICKS • 56,556 • TWITTER RETWEETS • 1,907 • FACEBOOK IMPRESSIONS • TWITTER MENTIONS • 617,584 • 1,184 • FACEBOOK UNIQUE USERS • 4,391
SOFT LEGACY
• Professional Speakers – Tom Renney, Paul Carson, Joe Drago, Hockey Canada High Performance • Junior Host program / Goalie Experiences / Referee live the Dream Program • On Ice activation and events ie. Minor Hockey Mini games • Sponsorship Engagement- RBC Learn to Play • FSJ Gymnastics Club • National Event Training in Calgary Volunteer Development and Engagement • Community Events and Hospitality • Nawican Friendship Centre - Ecole Frank Ross breakfast program • TSN Televised Broadcasts • STEAM • GREAT COMMUNITY SPIRIT and PRIDE
November 24, 2016 5 D-211/2/2016
GREAT TEAM
HARD LEGACY
Infrastructure Improvements Financial Legacy $108,000 Also 50/50 money made to the community groups Development Legacy
November 24, 2016 6 D-211/2/2016
5 MONTHS 2 COMMUNITIES 1 CHAMPIONSHIP =
November 24, 2016 7
2015 World U17 Hockey Challenge Dawson Creek & Fort St. John Economic Impact Assessment
February 2016
The following analysis provides the economic impact of the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge hosted in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, British Columbia from November 1-7, 2015 as generated by the Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model – Professional Version. 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Economic Impact Assessment Funding Partner
The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance wishes to acknowledge the financial support of Hockey Canada and the communities of Dawson Creek and Fort St John in the completion of this study. In addition, we wish to recognize the tremendous support from the Dawson Creek and Fort St. John local host committees with regards to the provision of volunteers for survey collection.
For more information about this report, please contact: Tony Fisher, Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, [email protected] Ryan Robins, Hockey Canada, [email protected]
2 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
1.0 Background
The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge represents Hockey Canada’s First step in its Program of Excellence. The 2015 tournament, co-hosted in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John in Northeastern British Columbia, featured three Canadian teams who were joined by five international teams: United States, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden. Canada White’s victory over team Russia in the final game was the first Canadian victory since 2011, and was powered in part by Owen Tippet’s hat trick. The Bronze medal game saw Canada Red fall to team Sweden by a score of 3-0. In addition to the success on the ice, the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge attracted hundreds of visitors to Northeastern British Columbia whose spending generated a significant economic impact on the host cites and the region as a whole, which is the subject of this report.
In measuring the economic impact of the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, spectators at the event were surveyed as to their origin, length of stay, and spending in Northeastern BC, with the survey methodology and results being the subject of the next section. The event organizers also invested significantly in hosting the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, as noted in Section 3. Finally, section 4 reports the STEAM PRO1 results from the combined expenditures of the spectators and the event organizers’ operational expenditures. The appendices include more details about STEAM PRO, the economic impact assessment model used and a glossary of terms.
1The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s (CSTA’s) Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model, Professional version (STEAM PRO) was used to generate the economic impact estimates detailed in this report. STEAM PRO, which was developed in 2006, is a model that has been designed to incorporate the results of primary data collected from event visitors and the budget / capital expenditures of event organizers and others to prepare economic impact assessments. The model is based on the Canadian Tourism Research Institute’s (CTRI - a branch of The Conference Board of Canada) TEAM model, which is the most widely used tourism economic impact model in Canada. The results of STEAM PRO are fully consistent with the CSTA’s STEAM model. A more detailed description of STEAM PRO is contained within Appendix 1.
3 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
2.0 Methodology/ Survey Results
Information regarding the composition and spending of spectators at the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge was collected through the administration of a face-to-face intercept survey. The survey captured essential information to determine the origin of spectators attending the event and the expenditures of out-of-town visitors to the Northeastern BC region. The survey was conducted using Samsung Galaxy Tablets running Survey Analytics’ Survey Pocket software.2
Survey Results
A total of 1,726 visitor parties were approached during the event (823 in Dawson Creek and 903 in Fort St. John) with 145 parties had been previously surveyed (8%) and 141 choosing not to participate (8%), yielding a total of 1,440 valid surveys. The overall sample of surveys featured 26% of respondents from Dawson Creek, 49% of responses were Fort St. John residents and 25% were visitors to Northeastern BC. 3
The calculation for determining the number of unique individuals attending the 2015 World U17 Hockey Challenge was determined by first calculating the number of individuals in each venue and then controlling for the overlap between the two host cities. The number of individuals was calculated by first breaking out the overall attendance by the survey respondent origin and then dividing by the number of games attended. The exercise was repeated for both Dawson Creek (Table 2.1) and Fort St. John (Table 2.2). The final step was to calculate the level of overlap between the two venues which was developed based on the survey responses. The results, shown in Table 2.3, show that the overall attendance at the 2015 U-17 Hockey Challenge was 5,985 people, of which 1,916 were visitors from outside of Northeastern British Columbia.
2The survey and methodology were prepared in consultation with the “Guidelines for Measuring Tourism Economic Impact At Gated Festivals and Events”, available at: http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/tourdiv/research/resources.htm 3 In Dawson Creek, the sample size of 695 surveys representing 1,915 spectators of the total of 4,531 spectators gives a statistically significant confidence interval of +/- 1.7%, 19 times in 20, rising to +/- 2.9% for statistics referring to out of town visitors only. In Fort St. John, the sample size of 745 surveys representing 2,171 spectators of the total of 2,922 spectators gives a statistically significant confidence interval of +/- 1.1%, 19 times in 20, rising to +/- 3.3% for statistics referring to out of town visitors only.
4 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Table 2.1 Attendance Calculations - Dawson Creek Dawson Creek Origin Share Attendance (total) Games p.p. Individuals Dawson Creek 54% 9,809 5.65 1,736 Fort St John 13% 2,308 1.85 1,248 Grand Prairie 4% 682 3.35 204 Regional BC AB within 200km of DC FSJ 9% 1,626 2.85 571 Other British Columbia 6% 1,128 4.53 249 Other Canada 12% 2,203 5.01 440 International 3% 551 6.62 83 Total 100% 18,307 4.04 4,531 Total Visitors 34% 6,190 4.00 1,547
Table 2.2 Attendance Calculations - Fort St. John Fort St. John Origin Share Attendance (total) Games p.p. Individuals Dawson Creek 1% 118 2.43 49 Fort St John 82% 10,384 4.45 2,333 Grand Prairie 3% 371 4.18 89 Regional BC AB within 200km of DC FSJ 5% 692 4.85 143 Other British Columbia 5% 591 3.29 180 Other Canada 4% 456 4 114 International 1% 68 5 14 Total 100% 12,680 4.34 2,922 Total Visitors 17% 2,178 4.03 540
Table 2.3 Overall Attendance Dawson Both DC & Fort St. Net Creek Only FSJ John Only Attendance Dawson Creek 51 1,685 0 1,685 Fort St John 0 1,248 1,085 2,333 Grand Prairie 184 20 69 273 Regional BC AB within 200km of DC FSJ 515 56 87 658 Other British Columbia 178 71 109 358 Other Canada 423 17 97 537 International 76 7 7 90 Total 1,427 3,104 1,454 5,985 Total Visitors 1,376 171 369 1,916
5 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Visitor Spending
Spectators from outside of Northeastern British Columbia were asked about their expenditures while in the region. For the purposes of the spending analysis, visitors were divided into five categories: sameday visitors, regional overnight visitors, other BC overnight visitors, other Canada overnight visitors and U.S. / International overnight visitors.
The average visitor party was comprised of 2.8 people who spent an average of 5.9 nights in Northeastern British Columbia. The typical sameday traveller made 2.6 day trips to Dawson Creek / Fort St. John and spent $47 per trip, or a total of $122 over the course of the tournament. The average overnight visitor spent $526 per person while in Northeastern BC, or an average of $131 per person per night.
Table 2.4 Visitor Spending per Person – Northeastern BC Sameday Regional Other Other Visitor Overnight BC Canada International Average Party Size 3.1 2.8 2.5 2.5 1.9 2.8 Nights 2.6* 4.7 5.9 6.3 7.8 5.9** Accommodation $0.00 $152.61 $216.91 $422.19 $688.07 $198.68 Restaurants $52.75 $115.58 $185.19 $280.44 $353.62 $155.70 Grocery $17.91 $24.99 $45.36 $43.81 $34.06 $30.47 Recreation & Entertainment $12.13 $29.20 $47.75 $25.06 $7.31 $22.82 Shopping $17.21 $65.88 $64.67 $52.29 $59.21 $42.16 Vehicle Expenses $22.18 $68.81 $106.53 $131.15 $159.94 $76.50 Total $122.19 $457.08 $666.40 $954.94 $1,302.22 $526.32 Per Person Per Night $47.00* $98.30 $113.72 $151.82 $168.03 $130.85** *per day **Overnight visitors only
Combining the visitor spending with the attendance figures finds that out of town visitors attending the 2015 U-17 Hockey Challenge spent $998,000 in Northeastern BC.
Table 2.4 Visitor Spending - Aggregate Sameday Regional Other Other Visitor Overnight BC Canada International Total Visitors 777 255 307 487 90 1,916 Accommodation $0 $38,915 $66,590 $205,607 $61,926 $373,038 Restaurants $40,987 $29,474 $56,852 $136,575 $31,826 $295,714 Grocery $13,916 $6,371 $13,924 $21,337 $3,066 $58,614 Recreation & Entertainment $9,428 $7,447 $14,661 $12,205 $658 $44,399 Shopping $13,373 $16,800 $19,854 $25,463 $5,329 $80,819 Vehicle Expenses $17,235 $17,547 $32,703 $63,871 $14,395 $145,751 Total $94,940 $116,555 $204,585 $465,057 $117,199 $998,336
6 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
The final step in the analysis was to divide the visitor spending between Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. The spending of sameday visitors was divided up based on the number of games each spectator attended in the two host cities. The expenditure of overnight visitors was allocated based on the community that they overnighted in. Using these rules provided the shares shown in Table 2.5, which were then applied to the visitor spending to calculate the total tourism expenditures each community realized through hosting the U-17 Hockey Challenge (Tables 2.6 & 2.7).
Table 2.5 Visitor Expenditure Shares Dawson Fort St. Creek John Share Share Sameday Visitor 60% 40% Regional Overnight 32% 68% Other BC 59% 41% Other Canada 69% 31% International 65% 35%
Table 2.6 Visitor Expenditure – Dawson Creek Sameday Regional Other Other Dawson Creek Visitor Overnight BC Canada International Average Expenditure Share 60% 32% 59% 69% 65% 61% Accommodation $0 $12,339 $39,018 $141,135 $40,252 $227,943 Restaurants $24,654 $9,345 $33,312 $93,749 $20,687 $180,694 Grocery $8,371 $2,020 $8,159 $14,646 $1,993 $35,816 Recreation & Entertainment $5,671 $2,361 $8,590 $8,378 $428 $27,130 Shopping $8,044 $5,327 $11,633 $17,479 $3,464 $49,384 Vehicle Expenses $10,367 $5,564 $19,162 $43,843 $9,357 $89,060 Total $57,106 $36,956 $119,874 $319,229 $76,180 $610,027
Table 2.7 Visitor Expenditure – Fort St. John Sameday Regional Other Other Fort St. John Visitor Overnight BC Canada International Average Expenditure Share 40% 68% 41% 31% 35% 39% Accommodation $0 $26,576 $27,572 $64,473 $21,674 $145,096 Restaurants $16,334 $20,128 $23,540 $42,826 $11,139 $115,020 Grocery $5,546 $4,351 $5,765 $6,691 $1,073 $22,798 Recreation & Entertainment $3,757 $5,086 $6,070 $3,827 $230 $17,269 Shopping $5,329 $11,473 $8,221 $7,985 $1,865 $31,435 Vehicle Expenses $6,868 $11,983 $13,541 $20,028 $5,038 $56,691 Total $37,834 $79,598 $84,711 $145,829 $41,020 $388,309
7 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Participants
In addition to the out of town spectators, the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenges also included 225 players and team staff, 15 event officials and 13 officials from Hockey Canada. While the majority of the expenses of participants were covered by the event organizers, additional expenditures have been included in the economic impact assessment. In addition the assessment includes pre-competition expenses of hosting the three Canadian teams, Hockey Canada Event costs, Hockey Canada promotions in the region as well as pre-tournament expenditures.
3.0 Operational & Capital Expenditures
An analysis was also made of the operating expenditures made by the event organizers in hosting the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. The operating budget for hosting the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge was $908,770, which was spent on wide variety of goods and services, with the main categories including food, accommodation and local transportation for the participants.
In addition, the World U-17 Hockey Challenge provided impetus for several capital improvements for the North Peace Arena and EnCana Events Centre, with significant upgrades to the dressing rooms in the EnCana Events Centre
While not included as a direct expenditure in the budget, the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge was supported by hundreds of volunteers, and the success of the event was due in a large part to the efforts of this group.
8 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
4.0 Economic Impact Results
The spending of spectators at the event, in combination with the expenditures made by the event organizers in producing the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge reached $2.7 million, generating an estimated net economic activity (GDP) of $2.9 million in the Province of British Columbia, of which $1.2 million occurred in Dawson Creek and $517,000 in Fort St. John. These expenditures supported $1.8 million in wages and salaries in the Province as a whole and an estimated 38 jobs, of which 19 jobs and $762,000 in wages and salaries were in Dawson Creek along with 7 jobs and $307,000 in wages & salaries in Fort St. John.4 The combined economic activity (industry output) generated by the event was $5.9 million in the Province, with $2.7 million occurring in Dawson Creek and $1.2 million in Fort St. John.
Considerable tax revenues were also produced by the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, totalling $1.1 million. The event supported federal government tax revenues of $516,000 with an additional $413,000 in taxes accruing to the Province of British Columbia. Moreover, $173,000 in municipal taxes was supported in British Columbia municipalities with $77,000 of the municipal tax base in Dawson Creek and $38,000 in Fort St. John being supported by the 2015 Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Table 4.1 Economic Impact Summary Total BC Dawson Creek Fort St. John Initial Expenditure $2,732,700 $1,810,018 $922,681 GDP $2,926,171 $1,170,741 $517,180 Wages & Salaries $1,773,145 $762,315 $306,885 Employment 37.9 19.3 7.0 Industry Output $5,906,075 $2,754,465 $1,266,610 Total Taxes $1,101,869 $488,630 $195,171 Federal $516,170 $215,189 $87,881 Provincial $412,929 $196,393 $69,356 Municipal $172,770 $77,048 $37,934
4 Jobs reported in this study refer to the number of jobs, vs. full time equivalent (i.e.: two people working half time in a job that typically features half time employment would represent two jobs or one FTE). Additionally, the direct employment effects are generally extra shifts or overtime for existing workers rather than new employment.
9 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Table 4.2 Total Economic Impact Province of Dawson Fort St. BC Creek John Rest of BC Initial Expenditure $2,732,700 $1,810,018 $922,681 $0 Gross Domestic Product Direct Impact $803,023 $553,117 $249,907 $0 Indirect Impact $1,389,316 $396,491 $184,394 $808,431 Induced Impact $733,832 $221,134 $82,880 $429,818 Total Impact $2,926,171 $1,170,741 $517,180 $1,238,249 Wages & Salaries Direct Impact $444,950 $337,480 $107,470 $0 Indirect Impact $873,587 $286,775 $145,978 $440,834 Induced Impact $454,608 $138,059 $53,438 $263,111 Total Impact $1,773,145 $762,315 $306,885 $703,946 Employment (Full-year jobs) Direct Impact 10.5 8.1 2.5 0.0 Indirect Impact 17.9 6.8 3.0 8.1 Induced Impact 9.5 4.4 1.5 3.6 Total Impact 37.9 19.3 7.0 11.7 Total Taxes Federal $516,170 $215,189 $87,881 $213,100 Provincial $412,929 $196,393 $69,356 $147,180 Municipal $172,770 $77,048 $37,934 $57,788 Total $1,101,869 $488,630 $195,171 $418,068 Industry Output Direct & Indirect $4,440,200 $2,313,134 $1,100,801 $1,026,265 Induced Impact $1,465,876 $441,331 $165,809 $858,735 Total Impact $5,906,075 $2,754,465 $1,266,610 $1,885,000
10 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Appendix 1: Economic Impact Methodology – STEAM
Background
Briefly, the purpose of STEAM is to calculate both the provincial and regional economic impacts of sport tourism. The economic impacts are calculated on the basis of capital and operating expenditures on goods, services and employee salaries, and on the basis of tourist spending within a designated tourism sector. The elements used to measure the economic impacts are Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Employment, Taxes, Industry Output and Imports. STEAM measures the direct, indirect & induced effects for each of these elements.
Technical Description of the Impact Methodology used by STEAM
STEAM and many other impact studies are based on input-output techniques. Input-output models involve the use of coefficients that are based on economic or business linkages. These linkages trace how tourist expenditures or business operations filter through the economy. In turn, the coefficients applied are then used to quantify how tourism related activity in a particular region generates employment, taxes, income, etc. The input-output approach indicates not only the direct and indirect impact of tourism, but can also indicate the induced effect resulting from the re-spending of wages and salaries generated.
All impacts generated by the model are given at the direct impact stage (i.e. the "front line" businesses impacted by tourism expenditures), indirect impact stage (i.e. those industries which supply commodities and/or services to the "front line" businesses) and the induced impact stage (induced consumption attributable to the wages and salaries generated from both the direct and indirect impact). In this sense, the model is closed with respect to wages. Imports are also determined within the model, so the model is closed with respect to imports. Exports are not endogenized (i.e. additional exports are not assumed with the induced impact) which consequently generates more conservative impacts. Another assumption of the model, which leads to more conservative impacts, is that not all commodities and/or services purchased are assumed to have at least one stage of production within the province. This assumption is crucial for souvenirs, gasoline and other commodities.
11 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Taxes and employment are key economic considerations. However, as these concepts fall outside of the System of National Account Provincial input/output tables, their impacts must be calculated separately. Current tax and employment data for each region is used to econometrically estimate a series of coefficients and rates. These coefficients and/or rates are then applied to measures determined within the input-output framework of the model, yielding the final tax and employment figures.
Regional (Sub-Provincial) Impact Methodology
The method used to simulate intraprovincial commodity flows and ultimately regional impacts follows directly from regional economic principles. The principle is referred to as the "gravity model". Basically the "gravity model" states that the required commodity (& service) inputs will be "recruited" in a manner that takes into consideration economies of scale (i.e. production costs), transportation costs and the availability of specific industries. Economies of scale (i.e. lower production costs) are positively correlated with input demand while greater transportation costs are negatively correlated with input demand. Fulfilling that demand from other provincial regions is contingent on the fact that the specific industry does actually exist. An advantage of using the "gravity model" to simulate intraprovincial commodity flows is that as the industrial composition of the labour force changes, or as new industries appear for the first time in specific regions, the share of production between the various sub-provincial regions also changes.
By following this principle of the gravity model, all sub-provincial regions of a province are assigned a coefficient for their relative economies of scale in each industry (using the latest industry labour force measures) as well as a coefficient to represent the transportation cost involved to get each industry's output to the designated market. One variation on the "gravity model" principle involves the estimation of "relative trade distances" by incorporating different "weights" for different modes of transport. Once these coefficients are generated for all regions and over all industries, a measure of sensitivity (mostly relative to price, but in the case of service industries also to a "local preference criteria") is then applied to all commodities. Another variation on the strict "gravity model" approach is that the measure of sensitivity is adjusted by varying the distance exponent (which in the basic "gravity model" is 2) based on the commodity or service required. The variation in distance exponents revolve, principally, around two research hypotheses: (1) the greater the proportion of total shipments from the largest producer (or shipper), the lower the exponent, and (2) the greater the proportion of total flow which is local (intraregional), the higher the exponent.
12 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment
Appendix 2: Glossary of Terms Used by STEAM
Initial Expenditure - This figure indicates the amount of initial expenditures or revenue used in the analysis. This heading indicates not only the total magnitude of the spending but also the region in which it was spent (thus establishing the "impact" region).
Direct Impact - Relates ONLY to the impact on “front-line” businesses. These are businesses that initially receive the operating revenue or tourist expenditures for the project under analysis. From a business perspective, this impact is limited only to that particular business or group of businesses involved. From a tourist spending perspective, this can include all businesses such as hotels, restaurants, retail stores, transportation carriers, attraction facilities and so forth.
Indirect Impact - Refers to the impacts resulting from all intermediate rounds of production in the supply of goods and services to industry sectors identified in the direct impact phase. An example of this would be the supply and production of bed sheets to a hotel.
Induced Impact - These impacts are generated as a result of spending by employees (in the form of consumer spending) and businesses (in the form of investment) that benefited either directly or indirectly from the initial expenditures under analysis. An example of induced consumer spending would be the impacts generated by hotel employees on typical consumer items such as groceries, shoes, cameras, etc. An example of induced business investment would be the impacts generated by the spending of retained earnings, attributable to the expenditures under analysis, on machinery and equipment.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - This figure represents the total value of production of goods and services in the economy resulting from the initial expenditure under analysis (valued at market prices).
NOTE: The multiplier (A), Total/Initial, represents the total (direct, indirect and induced) impact on GDP for every dollar of direct GDP. This is a measure of the level of spin-off activity generated as a result of a particular project. For instance if this multiplier is 1.5 then this implies that for every dollar of GDP directly generated by “front-line” tourism businesses an additional $0.50 of GDP is generated in spin-off activity (e.g. suppliers).
The multiplier (B), Total/$ Expenditure, represent the total (direct, indirect and induced) impact on GDP for every dollar of expenditure (or revenue from a business perspective). This is a measure of how effective project related expenditures translate into GDP for the province (or region). Depending upon the level of expenditures, this multiplier ultimately determines the overall level of net economic activity associated with the project. To take an example, if this multiplier is 1.0, this means that for every dollar of expenditure, one dollar of total GDP is
13 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge– Economic Impact Assessment generated. The magnitude of this multiplier is influenced by the level of withdrawals, or imports, necessary to sustain both production and final demand requirements. The less capable a region or province is at fulfilling all necessary production and final demand requirements, all things being equal, the lower the eventual economic impact will be.
GDP (at factor cost) - This figure represents the total value of production of goods and services produced by industries resulting from the factors of production. The distinction to GDP (at market prices) is that GDP (at factor cost) is less by the amount of indirect taxes plus subsidies.
Wages & Salaries - This figure represents the amount of wages and salaries generated by the initial expenditure. This information is broken down by the direct, indirect and induced impacts.
Employment - Depending upon the selection of employment units (person-years or equivalent full-year jobs) these figures represent the employment generated by the initial expenditure. These figures distinguish between the direct, indirect and induced impact. “Equivalent Full-Year Jobs”, if selected, include both part-time and full-time work in ratios consistent with the specific industries.
NOTE: The multiplier (B) is analogous to Multiplier (B) described earlier with the exception being that employment values are represented per $1,000,000 of spending rather than per dollar of spending. This is done to alleviate the problem of comparing very small numbers that would be generated using the traditional notion of a multiplier (i.e. employment per dollar of initial expenditure).
Industry Output - These figures represent the direct & indirect and total impact (including induced impacts) on industry output generated by the initial tourism expenditure. It should be noted that the industry output measure represents the sum total of all economic activity that has taken place and consequently involve double counting on the part of the intermediate production phase. Since the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figure includes only the net total of all economic activity (i.e. considers only the value added), the industry output measure will always exceed or at least equal the value of GDP.
Taxes - These figures represent the amount of taxes contributed to municipal, provincial and federal levels of government relating to the project under analysis. This information is broken down by the direct, indirect and induced impacts.
Imports - These figures indicate the direct, indirect and induced final demand and intermediate production requirements for imports both outside the province and internationally.
14
March 14, 2016 NR0XX.16
DAWSON CREEK AND FORT ST. JOHN TURN 2015 WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE INTO GOLD Communities, minor hockey benefit from hosting growing international event
CALGARY, Alta. – Team Canada White may have captured the on-ice prize at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, but the off-ice gold-medal winners were the Peace Region and the legacy funding benefactors in the communities of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.
The eight-day tournament, hosted at the Encana Events Centre and North Peace Arena, attracted more than 30,000 fans over 26 games. A capacity crowd of 4,258 was on-hand at the Encana Events Centre to witness Team Canada White secure the first gold medal for a Canadian representative since 2011 - marking the event’s third- highest attendance figures in the last five years.
“The overwhelming success of the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge is especially impressive given the host communities had just under six months to prepare and execute on this growing international event,” noted community co-chairs Wally Ferris and Barry Reynard. “Our host committee is proud to announce that the communities of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John will share in a legacy of close to $120,000 stemming from the proceeds of the event, and an additional $50,000 from 50/50 proceeds will go to minor hockey associations in the two communities.”
Ferris and Reynard added that a number of factors contributed to the financial success of the event, including community support of ticket sales, strong support of the business community, provincial and municipal funding, and the incredible commitment from volunteers and local stakeholders.
“The benefits to our community have been substantial. It was only with the overwhelming support of our citizens who stepped up to dedicate countless volunteer hours, and our many corporate sponsors, that this was even possible,” said City of Fort St. John Acting Mayor, Dan Davies. “We are grateful for their support and we look forward to hosting more world-class events.”
1
An economic impact study conducted during the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in partnership with Tourism Dawson Creek and the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance concluded that the combined spending of operations and visitors to the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge totalled close to $6 million in economic activity for the Peace Region and the province of British Columbia.
Dawson Creek mayor, Dale Bumstead echoed the sentiments of Acting Mayor Davies: "This event has been remarkable for northeastern British Columbia. A compressed timeframe to execute this tournament was no small feat, but the impact and outcome has been exceptional. I am proud of what we have accomplished."
The 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will be hosted in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
For more information on the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.
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For further information, please contact: Lisa Dornan Hockey Canada 403-510-7046 [email protected]
2
FINAL REPORT
Table of Contents 2
Letter from Co-Chairs ...... 3 Executive Summary ...... 5 Economic Impact ...... 8 Finance ...... 9 Volunteers ...... 12 Sponsorship ...... 13 Ticket Sales ...... 17 Logistics & Operations ...... 20 Games Operations...... 27 Media & Communications ...... 33 Marketing ...... 35 Special Events & Programs ...... 39 Appendix I – Financial Budget to Actual……………………………………………………41 Appendix II- Key Marketing Material……….………………………………………………42 Appendix III- Sponsorship Deck ...... 46 Appendix IV- Sponsorship Revenue ...... 51 Appendix V- Sponsorship Invoice Template ...... 52 Appendix VI- Sponsorship Letter of Agreement Template ...... 53 Appendix VII- Sponsorship Thank You Letter ...... 57 Appendix VIII Sponsorship Appreciation Certificate ...... 58 Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan ……….…………………………………………………………..59
Fort St. John Letter from Co-Chairs 3
The 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge certainly was a four month whirlwind. We can’t say enough about the wonderful people who made up the Fort St. John Host Committee. Their experience, imagination, drive, collaborative nature, and overwhelming desire to make this event the best it could be was evident from the very first meeting. Each Host Committee member performed their duties so competently.and their uncanny ability to shift gears on the fly and troubleshoot for themselves was demonstrated on numerous occasions.
Over the course of the U-17 Hockey Challenge, we received so many positive comments about the more than 250 volunteers who gave so generously donated their time. Their approachability, outgoing good-nature, helpfulness, and just plain niceness enhanced the experience for all who attended.
The hockey that was played was absolutely sensational! It was hard to believe that the players on the ice were only sixteen years old. Their skill level is phenomenal; however it’s their outstanding performance, with the weight of the world on their shoulders, that really sets them apart.
It was nice to develop friendships with so many fine Hockey Canada staff, City of Fort St. John personnel, Dawson Creek host committees and residents. Often, those relationships are the most lasting legacy. Please accept our sincere gratitude for the opportunity to be involved.
Sincerely,
Paul van Nostrand Lee Hartman Co-Chair, Fort St. John Host Committee Co-Chair, Fort St. John Host Committee 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Dawson Creek Letter From Co-Chair 4
The U17 World Hockey challenge hosted in partnership between the communities of Dawson Creek and Fort St John was an outstanding success. I believe that both host committees were able to organize all aspects required to undertake such an international event. Our goal was to prepare and present a first class event that the athletes and the fans would fondly remember. To this extent that goal was realized despite the short time line provided in fact that shortened time line may have ensured that the necessary tasks were properly addressed sooner rather than later. Get at it and get it done was our motto!!
From an entertainment point of view the quality of the hockey was realized as extremely high level and entertaining. Looking at the financial perspective the event was deemed to be a successful leaving a substantial legacy which was returned to community organizations. The host communities were able to provide all of the teams and officials with first class accommodation, meals, transportation and ensure that all of the game and practice components were professionally handled.
The overall success of this event was a result of the committed partnerships between Dawson Creek and Fort St John host committees, the Event Steering Committee and the Hockey Canada staff.
In closing the end product for both communities was an outstanding display of high quality world-class hockey that was a tremendous success. The host communities will not forget this event and should look forward to hosting another high caliber Hockey Canada event in the near future.
Sincerely,
Richard Powell Dave Hamilton Co-Chair Dawson Creek Host Committee Co-Chair, Dawson Creek Host Committee 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Executive Summary 5
Key Highlights Overall an extremely successful championship. Met and exceeded Committee and Hockey Canada expectations. Five months to coordinate and deliver. Usually a year and a half preparation time awarded to host committees. Vision and support of the City of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John City Council was critical. Belief in the core principle to “bake the cake” allowed us to meet and exceed the expectations of teams, management, parents, scout and FANS. Superior facilities in both communities to host and accommodate such a large event. Integral volunteer base in both communities Recruitment of key people within the committees was key. Looked to experienced leadership. Regular meetings and accountability from each member of Steering and Host committees to deliver a superior product. The Encana Event Centre Staff brought tremendous experience and leadership to this event specific to Ticketing, Marketing and Sponsorship. Event hosting model and partnership between City of Dawson Creek, City of Fort St John and the Encana Event Centre became quite unique. Marketing plan, ticket strategy, event operations and experience of the EnCana Event Centre provided a base for both Host committees to focus their efforts on. Ability to cater all meals and meet team nutritional needs was very important. Excellent transportation plans. Excellent Logistics plan in place for both communities. Extremely strong Municipal, Regional, Provincial and “corporate” support. Host venues adjacent or within close proximity to all hotels that were the home away from home for competing teams. Excellent working relationship between Hockey Canada staff and Event Committee. Pre-championship events were very successful; pre competition allowed for committees to work through any challenges prior to the start of the event. Outstanding marketing plan. Outstanding ticketing plan. Engaged the community through On Ice activities, School Programs, Minor Hockey Development opportunities and a strong Legacy plan for years to come. A strong fiscal plan that was coordinated by the City of Dawson Creek financial department. Volunteers, volunteers and more volunteers. Volunteer training and orientation. Volunteer recognition. Team Hosts….represented our Communities with enthusiasm
Executive Summary 6
Challenges Initial challenge getting out of the blocks with such a short time frame to deliver, organized vision and task assignments were critical in pulling both communities together. Short time frame to deliver the event between two different communities. Sponsorship and ticket sales exceeded the original budget projections allowing for adjustments within the proposed budget for additional costs as new challenges emerged, ie. Transportation requirements and venue improvements. Meeting and exceeding the transportation of teams that did not fly into Fort St. John or Grande Prairie Airports. High performance athletics of this level is still relatively new to the market and required strategies to build and promote the event; this took a lot of planning in such a short window of time. At times, expectations between event management staff, and high performance staff expectations of Hockey Canada, led to frustration to the Steering Committee. This was specific to the catering model and team meeting rooms. Getting people to the event that had never seen this level of competition. Additional pressure on the Committee in hosting pre-events. Forced the committees to utilize the event centres selected for the event. Not enough time to coordinate smaller communities in the region that would have liked to have hosted an exhibition game. Real time control and approval of unexpected expenses. Recommendations Build a strong team in your Committee early and develop that critical path and stay focussed on it. Work closely with the Hockey Canada staff assigned to the event as there is an incredible amount of knowledge and experience available. These National Championships are growing in delivery and expectation every year and it is critical for the Host Committee to wrap their minds around these challenges. If possible involve your venue’s management team as early as possible. The Encana Event Centre brought an amazing amount of support to this project and engaging the Encana Event Centre early in the process saved the Committee a lot of time specifically in the key areas of marketing, ticket strategy, and event operations. Be careful not to overburden individual Directors with too many responsibilities. Learn as early as possible where your limitations with the Directors and key volunteer positions are and get them support they require to do their jobs. Establish a clear understanding of Hockey Canada’s exclusivity listing for sponsorship. This is a challenge for small communities especially in our case as we have tremendous “oil and gas” sponsorship for corporate assistance that we could not access. Ensure a solid financial plan is established and approved early in the process. It was difficult at times to understand our financial position prior to the start of the event. The City of Dawson Creek assisted us with a financial support position. Engage surrounding Minor Hockey Associations in opportunities to participate in the event. More structure and Steering committee approval process on expenditures from volunteer base. More structure, process and communication on incident reporting. Executive Summary 7
Economic Impact 8
The spending of spectators at the event, in combination with the expenditures made by the event organizers in producing the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge reached $2.7 million, generating an estimated net economic activity (GDP) of $2.9 million in the Province of British Columbia, of which $1.2 million occurred in Dawson Creek and $517,000 in Fort St. John. These expenditures supported $1.8 million in wages and salaries in the Province as a whole and an estimated 38 jobs, of which 19 jobs and $762,000 in wages and salaries were in Dawson Creek along with 7 jobs and $307,000 in wages & salaries in Fort St. John.[1] The combined economic activity (industry output) generated by the event was $5.9 million in the Province, with $2.7 million occurring in Dawson Creek and $1.2 million in Fort St. John.
Considerable tax revenues were also produced by the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, totaling $1.1 million. The event supported federal government tax revenues of $516,000 with an additional $413,000 in taxes accruing to the Province of British Columbia. Moreover, $173,000 in municipal taxes was supported in British Columbia municipalities with $77,000 of the municipal tax base in Dawson Creek and $38,000 in Fort St. John being supported by the 2015 Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Economic Impact Summary
Total BC Dawson Creek Fort St. John
Initial Expenditure $2,732,700 $1,810,018 $922,681
GDP $2,926,171 $1,170,741 $517,180
Wages & Salaries $1,773,145 $762,315 $306,885
Employment 37.9 19.3 7.0
Industry Output $5,906,075 $2,754,465 $1,266,610
Total Taxes $1,101,869 $488,630 $195,171
Federal $516,170 $215,189 $87,881
Provincial $412,929 $196,393 $69,356
Municipal $172,770 $77,048 $37,934
Finance 9
As with any event, the role of the Finance Director’s portfolio is the driving force behind the success of any event. With the 2015 World U17 Hockey Challenge the event was in partnership with the City of Dawson Creek and the City of Fort St John. All finances flowed through the City of Dawson Creek’s books with a separate bank account to hold and disburse the funds. The revenues received for the event reported $1,102,128.54 compared to budgeted amounts of $870,490 (127%). 50/50 & Beverage Sales – in the planning stages for the U17 event, the committee determined that the two minor hockey groups from Dawson Creek and Fort St John would ultimately be responsible for the fundraising. It was also understood that the groups would report the revenues to the Finance Director and that the groups would receive what they raised as legacy for supporting the event. This line item also included refreshment sales that went to Fort St John Minor Hockey. Government funding and Sponsorships – the committee received $653K compared to budgeted amounts of $600K. This exceeded the expectations of the committee by $53K. Program Sales were $4,912.39 compared to budgeted amounts of $800. The sales in Dawson Creek were $2907.62 plus GST compared to Fort St. John’s sales of $2,004.77 plus GST. Ticket Sales were $330,888 compared to budgeted amounts of $220,940. A complete consolidated audit breakdown of ticket sales is included within the financials with total tickets sold of 24,988.
In summary and at the time of writing this report, all revenues have been received other than one sponsorship for $5,000 and Fort St John Minor Hockey’s grant share of $1,500 along with CHL grant that will come from Hockey Canada.
Please refer to Table 1 for an illustration of revenues received.
The U17 expenditures are $903,445 compared to budgeted amounts of $908,770 (99%). Accommodations were the largest expense for the event. The total expensed for the event totaled $227,779 compared to budgeted amounts of $224,400. Although the teams were provided 15 rooms only, some of the teams exceeded the maximum and as result had to be billed back to Hockey Canada. It could be suggested that for future events, that contracts be drawn up with the hoteliers along with better communication provided to eliminate the time spent reconciling team billings. Team Meals were the second largest expense for the event. The total expense for team meals $210,151 compared to budgeted amounts of $202,500 (104%). The Pomeroy Hotel in Fort St. John provided for team meals at a cost of $105,015 compared to Encana Event Centre providing meals through Ovations Caters, for a total $102,242. Additional catering for Team USA and Team Russia was requested for a total of $5,064 net and had to be billed back to Team USA and Hockey Canada Transportation expenses for the event totaled $94,300 compared to budgeted amounts of $100K (94%). This line item included all expenses that related to the movement of the teams (transportation contract, bus driver meals and accommodations, fuel cards for the donated shuttles and mileage for committee members). This also included the expense for the movement of the equipment from Edmonton to both Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. Facility Rental and expenses totaled $143,785 compared to budgeted amounts of $126,960 (113%). The expenses related to this item included the facility contracts for both the Encana Event Centre and North Peace Arena. Although these rentals are over their contracted amounts, it was determined that change
Finance 10
orders were required for the North Peace Arena, which was not considered prior to the contract being signed. All other line items are within the budget and each have detailed worksheets for further information.
In summary and at the time of writing this report, all expenses have been paid for the exception of the STEAM invoice. This was a study for the event that identified the economic spin-off from the event. This study was completed by Tony Fisher, Executive Director, Research & Analytics for the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance. This expense was booked and is included within the report.
Please refer Table 2 for a summary illustration of expenses paid.
To conclude my report, the support received from both communities simply reflected that although not big in stature, large events such as these can be hosted successfully by smaller regional areas that have the amenities. THIS EVENT WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS!
Finance 11
Table 1 – Refers to a snap shot of the Revenues. REVENUES
$400,000.00 $350,000.00 $300,000.00 $250,000.00 $200,000.00 $150,000.00 $100,000.00 $50,000.00
REVENUE REVENUE RECEIVED $-
Tickets Series1
BCHockey
Other -Sales
ProgramSales
Hockey Canada
50/50& Beverage
MerchandiseSales
CorporateFunding
Other (STEAM-HC,…
Hockey Canada Sales…
Government Funding
Minor Minor (DC/FSJ) Hockey
Pre EventPre VenueRentals CanadianHockey League R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 REVENUE LINE ITEM
Table 2 refers is a snap shot of the expenditures. EXPENDITURES $250,000.00
$200,000.00
$150,000.00 $100,000.00
$50,000.00 TOTAL TOTAL SPENT $-
$(50,000.00) Series1
Meals
Printing
Windup
Medical
Insurance
Volunteers
Contingency
Accreditation
Meals (Team) Meals
Officials Costs Officials
Special Events Special
Administration
Transportation
STEAM (Impact… STEAM
Office Expenses Office
Accommodations
Players &Officials… Players
Volunteer Apparel Volunteer
North Peace Arena Peace North
Servicing Costs (VIP,… Costs Servicing
Facility Rental/Costs Facility
Signage & Pageantry & Signage
Encana Event Centre Event Encana
Hockey Canada - Pre-… Canada Hockey
Venue Improvements Venue
Merchandizing (hats -… (hats Merchandizing
Officials - Games Fees Games - Officials
Advertising/Promotion
Laundry & Towel Service Towel & Laundry Hockey Canada - Steering… Canada Hockey E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9E10E11E12E13E14E15E16E17E18E19E20E21E22E23 E24 E25 EXPENSE LINE ITEM
Appendix I- Financial Breakdown Budget to Actual
Volunteers 12
The U17 Hockey Tournament that was held on Oct 30-Nov 7 2015, saw an excess of 287 volunteers from Fort St. John and surrounding area and 159 from Dawson Creek and surrounding area. A key piece to the success of an event of this caliber is having a handpicked volunteer directorate in which to trust the large components with and from there to pick their volunteers to help accomplish the tasks that need to be done. Volunteers were asked to do jobs such as Usher, Security, Beer Gardens, Medical, Ticket Sales, Logistics and Operations, etc..
The only recommendation would be to find a more stream lined approach to screening volunteers. Doing criminal record checks on all volunteers seemed to deter some people from helping as well put added pressure on the coordinators.
Volunteers were the glue that held the event together and without all of their help an event of this magnitude would not have been possible. The amount of time and dedication that it takes to put on an event like is clearly reflected in the end product and from our perspective this event was “knocked out of the park” thanks to all the people who dedicated their time, knowledge and abilities.
Fort St. John Sponsorship 13
In August of 2015, Fort St John sponsorship directors along with the World Under-17 Hockey Championship Committee were presented with goal of acquiring $80,000 of corporate sponsorship and in-kind donations. We were able to not only meet our goal but exceed it. Our sponsorship donations consisted of the following:
$108,000.00 total was raised in cash $35,000.00 total in-kind donations $143,000.00 was raised in total (cash & in-kind)
The success of the sponsorship campaign was largely due to, Fort St John having their first opportunity to host a Hockey Canada event. Everyone we approached was very interested and willing to help. For example on the first night we had an issue with power and with one call we had a generator on site free of charge from a local company the next morning. The sponsor deck that was put together by Ryan MacIvor was a great starting place to approach potential partners, with this baseline we were able to meet and exceed our sponsor needs.
We used a good network of people to help us target sponsors, when we would ask one person about who would be interested in a certain option; they would suggest many other companies to contact for sponsorship. The only issue seemed to be having the sponsorship group make time to meet with sponsors. The guys did a great job.
Due to Dawson Creek also securing sponsorship dollars it was crucial that we kept in close contact to ensure we did not over sell and were able to deliver on all aspects of the contracts drawn up. Communication between the sponsorship directors was a major factor which contributed to our success. On a daily basis we discussed the status of potential partners, ensured certain aspects were completed and helped each other when needed.
After the event our sponsors were contacted for feedback, it was evident right away that all our sponsors were very pleased with the level of hockey and that what they got in sponsorship was a bonus however they would do it all again just to have this kind of hockey in our community.
Recommendations I would not under value packages. I would not have any sponsorship packages under $500.00. We also think that with the short time frame, it made sponsor have to make quick decisions. In the past if we asked for sponsors 5-6 months down the road they would push us off until closer to the event. I think this could be a strategy in the future.
Dawson Creek Sponsorship 14
In August of 2015, the Dawson Creek sponsorship directors along with the World Under-17 Hockey Championship Committee were presented with goal of acquiring $40,000 of corporate sponsorship and in-kind donations (the Fort St. John committee also established a sponsorship group however this report only reflect the opinions and views of the Dawson Creek Committee). With the help of previously confirmed donations and an outstanding team we were able to not only meet our goal but exceed it. Our sponsorship donations consisted of the following:
$182,000.00 total was raised (cash ) $285,000.00 total was raised (grants) $53,500.00 total was raised (in-kind) . $520,500.00 was raised in total (cash /grants/ in-kind)
The success of the sponsorship campaign was largely due to: 1. A well rounded team which consisted of three individuals. 2. A strong focus on person to person sales and exploring different sponsorship opportunities. 3. Strong communication skills between the co-directorates as well as the board.
Our Dawson Creek sponsorship committee affectionately known as the “Dream Team” consisted of three individuals: Aaron Powell, Meagan Pickett, and Lindsey Borek. Each person brought their own individual strengths which helped contribute to the team as a whole. Each individual was responsible for certain areas of the sponsorship campaign as it related to their area of expertise. One director was a major asset as he had a variety of social networks and was a respected businessman in our community. Another director had extensive experience in planning and executing large events and was very knowledgeable on different sponsorship options. Our third director was able to complete a large part of the paperwork that was involved and made sure we delivered all rights and benefits as stated in the packages. We could not have chosen a better team!
From the very beginning we determined speaking with potential sponsors in person would yield the best results as it allowed us to establish a relationship as well as convey the importance and significance of the event in our community. It also gave our team an insight as to what the potential sponsor might like value added to his/her package to make it more appealing to them. All negotiations were ultimately determined after consulting with the chairs of the board and Hockey Canada to ensure all promises of added value could be delivered and did not create conflict. The packages were a great starting place to approach potential partners; however we also collaborated with our team to come up with other ideas. Some of the other options we marketed were Zamboni, intermissions, periods of play, and last minute of play sponsorships.
Establishing strong communication skills between the Board of Directors, Hockey Canada, co-directorates of sponsorship and the Fort St. John sponsorship team was something that was very important to us and we maintained it throughout the event. In the beginning stages of our journey it was essential to make sure all potential sponsors did not conflict with Hockey Canada’s marketing exclusivity agreements. We also requested if any board members wished to approach a potential partner they discussed it with us first for the same reasons. Due to Fort St. John also securing sponsorship dollars it was crucial that we kept in close contact to ensure we did not over sell and were able to deliver on all aspects of the contracts drawn up. Communication between the sponsorship directors was a major factor which contributed to our success. On a daily basis we
Dawson Creek Sponsorship 15 discussed the status of potential partners, ensured certain aspects were completed and helped each other when needed.
Strengths In our opinion, one of the major strengths of our sponsorship campaign was the support from the local business community. While we were able to generate some sponsorship from large corporations the sponsorship received from the local community was outstanding. We were able to find unique ways sponsors could be a part of the event. Some of these included selling the Zamboni, marketing periods of play, and local sponsors sending school children to games. Other areas we believe were major strengths include: One of the sponsorship directors having a variety of personal networks and connections among the local business community. The ability to “tailor” some of the packages to make it more appealing to potential supporters and selling in-game options such as last minute of play. The marketing team doing an outstanding job at making the event well known in the community and resulting in potential partners wanting to take part.
Challenges The biggest challenge the sponsorship committee faced was the lack of time before the start of the event. We joined the U17 team in August of 2015 and while some sponsorship dollars were already secured at this point we still needed to make sure we secured the remaining monetary goal by the deadline of printing. We focused our attention on selling the packages and if required tailoring them to make it more appealing to the potential partner. Once we felt we had exhausted this option we turned our attention to other marketing options such as sponsoring Zamboni’s, sending a school to a game, or selling periods of play.
An additional challenge we encountered was ensuring we did not interfere with Hockey Canada’s premier partnerships. Our community is composed primarily on the oil and gas sector and we found many of the large corporations and local businesses would be in conflict. We did our best to work around these restrictions and Hockey Canada was very helpful in creating ways to work around these obstacles.
Other challenges we faced included: Ensuring a constant communication line was kept with the Fort St. John sponsorship team. Following up with all sponsors to ensure they provide all logo’s and program ad drafts prior to Hockey Canada’s deadline. Managing last minute sponsors and ensuring all rights and benefits were met.
Recommendations 1 Establish your sponsorship package as soon as possible so it can be approved by Hockey Canada and you can approach you large corporations and have plenty of time to work with them. As well, make the packages include multiple opportunities with a variety of price ranges to tailor to businesses of all sizes.
2 Your sponsorship team should include individuals that are well respected in the community and have a variety of connections to utilize. Dawson Creek Sponsorship 16
3 Create sponsorship packages that will be appealing for larger corporations as well as have ideas that smaller business would like to invest in. 4 Continue communication with Hockey Canada and your U17 Board to ensure no potential sponsors are in conflict with Hockey Canada’s premier sponsors.
5 Media and Sponsorship should work closely together to help the event be as well-known as possible. It is a huge asset to have potential sponsors already aware of the event and its current partners before you even approach them.
Ticket Sales 17
Ticket Plan Objectives: Increase revenues Ease of use for all aspects of purchasing and reporting Keep the package configuration and pricing simple Maximize attendance Allow for broad multi-community access
Overview The event utilized Spectra Ticketing and Fan Engagement as the back end ticketing system for the events at both the Encana Events Centre (EEC) in Dawson Creek, BC and North Peace Arena (NPA) in Fort St. John, BC. Spectra Venue Management operates the Encana Events Centre and has over 7 years of ticketing experience in the regional market place; selling tickets to sporting events, concerts, rodeos and other events. Spectra Venue Management employs a full time staff of ticketing professionals that were ready to devote countless hours to putting together, maintaining, compiling reports, and executing the event. Moreover, they could handle detailed ticket reporting and requests, presales, on sales, package creation, and our ticket sellers are second to none in expertly handling high volume orders, multiple day events, and client solutions. Their team of professionals was at your service to create and execute a deftly organized event from start to finish. What Worked Well All ticketing platforms worked New ticketing infrastructure worked well and no connectivity problems between the two box offices Ticket prices were priced appropriately Met and exceeded all ticketing goals The early bird package with the hat was a good way to increase other revenues (merchandise) Ticket stock and ticket folders branded the event and further professionalized the event Mobile box office in Fort St John for packages and single tickets.
Areas of Attention Short time frame for deployment and ability to react to further push games with slow sales The amount of time and number of staff needed to cover hours of both box offices Volunteers (untrained/unfamiliar staff) with ticketing system Mailing of ticket packages was expensive. Higher convenience fees or added expense to event No permanent advance ticket sales location
Tournament Info Dawson Creek and Fort St. John (the host Cities) hosted 22 games during the tournament, including 12 round robin games, 4 quarter final, 2 placement, 2 semi-final and 2 medal games, and all games had reserved seating at the Encana Events Centre and North Peace Arena.
Ticket Sales 18
Site Exhibition Round Robin Relegation/ Quarter and Medal Games Total No. of Games Semi-Final Games Games
Encana Events Centre 1 6 4 2 13 North Peace Arena 1 6 4 11
Ticket Pricing Exhibition (2): $10.00 Round Robin (12): $15.00 Quarter Finals (4) $20.00 Relegation and Semi Final (4): $20.00 Medal Games (2): $25.00
Tickets Sold Throughout the entire event there was a total of 30,000 tickets sold.
Ticket Sales 19
Fort St. John Logistics & Operations 20
Accommodations The Fort St. John Committee developed an accommodation plan that met the requirements of Hockey Canada as laid out in the bid guidelines. We were quite fortunate in that a local company, Pomeroy Lodging, was able to satisfy all tournament accommodation requirements in Fort St John. Their management team really went the extra mile and worked closely with tournament organizers to ensure that the accommodations met the standards of Hockey Canada and most importantly met the needs of the participating athletes. These local accommodations were further able to provide additional rooms and space to accommodate team’s special needs for meeting and entertainment. All team and official accommodations were within 5-10 minute traveling distance to the North Peace Arena, the primary venue in Fort St. John. The accommodation needs of parents, scouts, agents and fans were provided for through additional Pomeroy properties and several other local hotels also all within 10 minutes of the North Peace Arena (primary Venue). Local properties were as follows: Team Hotels: . Pomeroy Hotel & Conference Centre Fort St John (Teams: Canada Red, Finland and Sweden) . Holiday Inn Express Fort St John Team: (Russia) Friends, Family, and Scouts Hotels: . The Pomeroy Inn & Suites, Fort St John . Stonebridge Hotel Fort St John . Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Fort St John . Lakeview Inn & Suites Fort St John . Quality Inn Northern Grand . Super 8 Fort St John Transportation Final results were excellent in this department. Once all the scheduled flights were taken care of, it was just responding to transportation requests/needs as they came in. This meant being on call 24 hours a day. We ended up with 4 vehicles from GM Canada, which were delivered to Dawson Creek. Don Hartman had talked to Driving Force in Fort St John to line up 4-6 vehicles as necessary because we were not fully informed of the GM vehicles being available to us and when we would get them. An additional 3-4 vehicles from Murray GM in Fort St John were also lined up, of which we only 2 were needed. It was easier to have them available rather than to really scramble at the start of the event. Once we knew that we had the 4 vehicles from GM, a request was made to Driving Force for 2 cube vans instead of the suburban’s that had been originally requested. In total we had 4 vehicles from GM that we used for the hosts to shuttle their respective teams. 2 more vehicles from Murray GM that were used for the Fast Hockey group and Hockey Canada and also 2 cube vans and 2 suburban’s from Driving Force which were used for transporting equipment from and to the planes and to and from Dawson Creek. Diversified dispatch and the team Hosts looked after the teams, so other than a few requests to line up the cube vans for equipment shuttles, that part was fairly easy. There were a few requests from Scouts for rides to the airport. The hosts drove the cube vans as they were needed. One trip was made to Grande Prairie with both vans to pick up the 3 Team Canada teams. That group dropped off team Black and team White in Dawson Creek and brought team Red to Fort St John. One of the cube vans was used as storage for 2 days at the end of the tournament for the Czech team. Thereby requiring a last minute find for another way to get Team Canada Red to Dawson Creek for the Bronze medal game. Don was able to get a local gentleman with a truck and toy hauler to load the team equipment and haul it for us.
Fort St. John Logistics & Operations 21
I worked very closely with Jeff Robertson (Director of the Hosts). We also worked closely with the Co-Chairs Paul and Lee. Jessica also helped by sending us email requests for rides for various Hockey Canada people as well as some Scouts. That worked well for us. It was hectic at times, but as everyone assumed their roles and understood that short notice was the norm, it did work out very well. I had also lined up some spare drivers in the event we needed extra shuttles. We did use 4-5 people for moving the vehicles from the dealerships and returning them etc. The supplied Fuel cards were used up fairly quickly as the cube vans had some longer hauls and used more fuel. I found a donor for some extra fuel and some car washes. Recommendations: 1 have good flexible Hosts 2 have good bus drivers 3 good communications 4 have extra resources available i.e. vehicles and people 5 be ready to put in some long days, they are worth it... Accreditation The accreditation responsibilities prior to the tournament starting were primarily done by the Dawson Creek team. They were extremely helpful in providing the necessary spreadsheets that were completed with the known information at the time. Spreadsheets had been created for flight itineraries, accommodations, transportation, meeting rooms and on-ice activations. The spreadsheets were updated daily as changes were consistently being made. Other area directorates were asked to provide names of volunteers in their respective areas for tracking of criminal record check completion as well as to have names for the accreditation passes that would be required to identify volunteers. There was some difficulty in receiving the appropriate names in the requested timeline from the directors which caused a shortage on accreditation passes, even with blank ones being printed. Each director chose to take charge of the distribution of the passes for each day so there was no need for a designated accreditation table to be manned by one individual.
Recommendations: 1 Additional “blank” volunteer passes printed, 30 were not enough 2 An accreditation table used with a master list for volunteers to sign in and out of each day, instead of each director taking charge of their own accreditation tag 3 Limit the amount of all access passes given to volunteer directors 4 Criminal Record Check process started at least 3 months prior to the start of the event
Medical Services Each team was provided with a medical information package at the pre-tournament meeting which included the following information: Name, location, phone number of local hospital Name, location, phone number and office hours of walk in clinic Name, location, phone number and office hours of dentist, as well as afterhours contact information Name, location, office hours, phone number of Physiotherapist and Chiropractor as well as afterhours contact information A fully stocked Safety/First Aid room was available on the lower level of the North Peace Arena in the central hallway between the two entrances to the benches, next to the referee room. Teams utilized the First Aid room with supervision from one of the Doctors or personnel from Trojan Safety. Fort St. John Logistics & Operations 22
The medical team available for the tournament consisted of two Level 3 Trojan Safety First Aid or EMR Attendants with a minimum of one doctor on site for each game during the tournament. Fort St John was grateful to have four doctors and one medical student that volunteered during the course of the tournament.
Recommendations: 1 Receiving information regarding each team’s medical expertise ahead of the tournament 2 Receiving practice schedule and notification of changes to practice schedule father in advance 3 Designated and signed area in the lobby for the medics 4 Minimum 2 designated seats in the stands for medics/doctors 5 Jackets for doctors to wear so they are easily identifiable 6 Require radios that are suited for the medical teams role 7 Announcers notify public and teams where first aid is located before and during the games.
Meal Services Our Fort St John Committee was able to supply and coordinate meals for all participating teams through our accommodations provider, Pomeroy Lodging. Volunteer food and beverage was provided on-site at the North Peace Arena and managed through the Volunteer Coordinator. Pre and post-game refreshments/snacks (bagels, whole fruit, yogurt & snack bars) were provided to teams and game officials on a daily basis and made available in the dressing room areas. We did receive a number of special meal requests, particularly from our visiting European teams, however, were able to negotiate meal plans and subsequent pricing through our provider which fell within Hockey Canada budget criteria. All meal plans were approved through our Hockey Canada Event Manager. All incidental food and beverage costs, meals in advance or post event, or opt-out requests were billed directly to applicable teams. Pomeroy Lodging further hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Special Event several weeks following the WU17 Hockey Challenge. Food and beverage was provided for volunteers and a cash bar was also available. We had a great turnout and the venue was a great opportunity to say thank you and recognize all the hard work that went into this successful tournament. Laundry Services Laundry services were provided by a combination of Esteem Cleaners and through the use of the Pomeroy Hotel laundry facilities during the hours after the last game each day. Esteem did the laundry that was not required to be turned around overnight and the Pomeroy was used for overnight turnaround purposes. We used volunteers to operate the Pomeroy facilities and this worked out quite well. There were no instances of any team not having their laundry requirements fulfilled. A significant task was the drop off and pick up of the daily laundry at Esteem and the Pomeroy respectfully. One of the biggest learnings was the magnitude of the overnight laundry requirements. In the future we will have a better understanding of what the requirements would be of Esteem Cleaners who do not work evenings and weekends.
Recommendations: Provide towels of a larger size for players as the hotel provided “pool” towels that were only just adequate.
Dawson Creek Logistics & Operations 23
Tranportation Coordinate the movement of all participants, delegates, VIPs and others as appropriate throughout the duration of event. A master itinerary for participating teams, officials, delegates and VIPs was created. Prior to arrival, individual teams also provided a detailed itinerary for the entire event, so we were able to work with Diversified busing and the Team Host to ensure bus drivers and travel times were scheduled appropriately.
Air Transportation All flights were arranged by Hockey Canada, with the option of flying into Edmonton, Grande Prairie or Fort St. John. Receiving completed Team Travel Itinerary forms as well as the compiled spreadsheet from Hockey Canada would have been helpful. We found that there were a few transcription errors in the flight information sent to our committee, which the Team travel Itinerary forms could have been used to verify information in a timely manner. Each participating team was assigned a Team Host for the duration of the Tournament. Team Hosts meet their individual team upon arrival at the airport; unfortunately 3 teams (Finland, Sweden and Russia) arrived in Edmonton and, due to the travel time and additional expense, team hosts were not able to meet these teams upon their arrival at the airport. The Team Hosts had been in contact with their respective team prior to arrival in Canada.
Ground Transportation Motor coaches were provided to transport all teams throughout the event. Each team was assigned an individual motor coach and driver. This included transportation to all games, practices, meals and any special transportation that was required throughout the tournament. Any adjustments to schedules were managed through the Team Host and Logistics. Direct communication to Diversified Busing came through the Logistic Director.
All Bus Driver’s contact information was provided to Logistic/Accreditation desk as this was the hub of operations during the event. If any problems arose, the Accreditation desk and or Team Hosts were able to contact the Bus Driver’s and vice-versa.
Accommodations Hotel accommodations and meals were provided for 28 people only (six staff and 22 players – 13 double rooms and 2 single rooms) additional rooms were the responsibility of the individual team. Individual team rooming lists were provided to Logistics and arrangements coordinated with Hotel Managers prior to arrival. In Dawson Creek team accommodations were provided by: . Pomeroy Inn & Suites (Canada White & Czech Republic) . Stonebridge Hotel (Canada Black & USA) In Fort St. John team accommodation were provided by: . Pomeroy Hotel & Conference Centre (Canada Red, Finland, Sweden) . Holiday Inn (Russia) For Delegates, VIPs and Officials, accommodations were provided by: 1. Pomeroy Inn & Suites – Dawson Creek 2. Stonebridge Hotel – Dawson Creek 3. Super 8 – Dawson Creek (All Officials) 4. Pomeroy Hotel & Conference Centre
Dawson Creek Logistics & Operations 24
In addition to team rooms, each hotel also provided designated team meeting rooms; these rooms were assigned to teams prior to arrival. Having dedicated meeting rooms for each team worked well.
Accreditation The Accreditation area became the hub of operations during the event. All inquiries, transportation requirements (shuttles) and event information were centralized here. The Accreditation desk was assigned a cell phone which was used as the main contact for any and all information. As Director of Logistics, my personal email address became the main email address. Recommendation 1. create a generic accreditation email in advance of the event and allow the key members of the Accreditation/Logistic team access to this email. This allows individuals to access the emails that are coming in, and respond effectively. 2. assign the accreditation cell number early on, so that it can be distributed to all team hosts, etc.
Upon arrival in Dawson Creek or Fort St. John, all members of very team were subject to the accreditation process. Individual team accreditation passes were created from the team lists provided. Each Director was responsible to report their volunteer names and access level to the Director of Logistics one week prior to the team arrivals, allowing the local printer enough time to produce the accreditation passes. Unfortunately there was a delay in receiving the Accreditation Graphic template from Hockey Canada which did delay printing passes; resulting in passes not being available upon the early arrival of the Canadian Teams. As this event was hosted between two communities, there was a large list of volunteer/accreditation passes and it was not clearly identified on the Accreditation passes which city these individuals would be working at; so there was some mix- up with where a few passes where sent to. Recommendation 1. If an event is shared between two communities and separate points of accreditation check-in is required, clearly indicate the location with Individuals name on the Accreditation Access Level Spreadsheet; ensuring that each Accreditation pass has a home location for those passes to be picked up from.
As this was a World U17 Hockey Challenge, we expected a high volume of scouts and agents at the event, the names that were provided for accreditation were not the actual individuals that arrived.
Recommendation 1. Produce blank Scout/Agent Accreditation passes and upon check-in at Accreditation desk, the volunteer can create a name label to affix to the Accreditation Pass OR when the scout packages (tickets) are purchased, include the accreditation pass with the package when it is mailed out or held for pick-up. The pass could state Scout or Scout + Affiliation.
Officials Accommodations for the officials and officiating supervisor was arranged with Super 8 in Dawson Creek. Two daily shuttles were arranged to transport officials and officiating supervisors to the respective venues (Dawson Dawson Creek Logistics & Operations 25
Creek – Encana Events Centre or Fort St. John – North Peace Arena). Any additional shuttle requirements were arranged through the Accreditation Desk on-call shuttle service. Recommendation 1. Assign a Host for the officials, create opportunities for these individuals to experience the area and or create special events such as “Experience the Dream – Referee for a Day” for local Minor Hockey players.
Food Services – Volunteer Food Services – Volunteer Area Boston Pizza supplied volunteer food services during the afternoon and evening games. Ensuring that a location is provided for volunteers to access refreshments, snacks and or meals during the event is necessary. Volunteers working longer than a 4 hour shift were also provided with food vouchers to use at the Encana Events Centre concessions, although these venues were only open during game time, it is important ensure meals are accessible during non-game time. In addition, during the medal games, the lines at the concession stands were very long. The Events Centre catering provided coffee and hot water for the volunteers. The accreditation desk volunteers maintained the other supplies, and due to hectic schedules of the Encana staff, took on the task of cleaning of the area. The volunteer area also served as a holding area when volunteers reported in. Volunteers had to cross the Zamboni approach route in order to access the volunteer area. Recommendation 1. Move the volunteer area further back, so that the Zamboni approach route does not have to be crossed. This is a safety concern.
When a large number of individuals were needed for activations such as mini-games, the back area did become very full and busy. At times, volunteers arrived late and did not know where to meet up with their Director (or key volunteer in charge). Daily briefings would have been beneficial, so that the logistics staff could answer questions and provide some directions. Recommendation 1. Institute daily briefings of activities planned for the day’s games and an orientation for key volunteers and Directors.
Shuttle Services Browns’ Chevrolet provided 6 vehicles at the Dawson Creek venue. A large suburban and shuttle driver was assigned to the officials shuttling to the Dawson Creek Encana events centre venue. Throughout the event, 3 to 4 volunteers worked the Accreditation desk, allowing for 1 individual to provide quick shuttle service as needed. Advanced shuttling was arrange for Airport pick-up/drop-offs and drivers were able to select the times and locations that worked for their schedules. In addition to the Accreditation desk individuals, there were also 10 on-call shuttle drivers. Driver’s picking up individuals at Airports/Hotels were provided with a Shuttle Sign, a gas card, and detailed itinerary: Guests Name (s) Pick-up time Pick-up location Drop-off location (Flight time, Airline etc.) Dawson Creek Logistics & Operations 26
All vehicles were expected to returned full of fuel. Fuel receipt and gas card were returned to the Accreditation desk after each run. All guests received an email confirmation of their pre-arranged shuttle, including driver name and contact information.
The parking area by the volunteer entrance doors was used for bus and shuttle parking as well as for deliveries. Signs were posted at the entrance of the restricted parking area to assist in keeping the area clear, as well as to identify shuttle parking areas. Posting these signs in advance is recommended for future events.
Closing Recommendations Logistic/Accreditation requires a core group of highly organized individuals; our group consisted of 4 key individuals that managed this area. Other volunteers worked shifts throughout the event; however, there was always one of the 4 key individuals present at any time. A master logistic spreadsheet was created which allowed individuals to see at a glance: Accommodation/room lists Transportation plan Game schedules Practice schedules Shuttle schedules, All committee member contact information, etc. Recommendation 1. Create the master contact card earlier, so that the names and numbers could be verified, and the cards could be printed and distributed prior to the first team’s arrival.
Fort St. John Games Operations 27
Dressing Rooms The lowers ice level area at the North Peace Arena houses seven dressing rooms which were converted to accommodate Pool “B” Canada Red, Finland, Russia, and Sweden. The rooms were all in the same general area so pipe and drape was also utilized to help designate specific dressing rooms. Dressing room assignments were such that teams were never beside each other for practices, round robin, or cross-over games (these assignments were created by Hockey Canada). Each dressing room had its own shower and washroom facilities. Staff and volunteers coordinated dressing room preparation i.e. signage, towels, and cleaning with team representatives so as not to conflict with team players, coaches, and trainers. Designated areas were also established for Team Services, Coaches, and a Media Scrums.
Officials Rooms The on & off ice officials room was also located on the lower ice level area, but across from team dressing rooms. Officials were provided with washroom and shower facilities in this area. The First Aid and Medical Services room was located immediately east of the Officials Room and at least one local doctor was on sight for all games. Hockey Canada Game Operations were also provided a room on the lower level, but so as not to interfere with team operations.
Laundry Services Laundry services were provided by a combination of Esteem Cleaners and through the use of the Pomeroy’s laundry facilities during the hours after the last game each day. Esteem did the laundry that was not required to be turned around overnight and the Pomeroy was used for overnight turnaround purposes. We used volunteers to operate the Pomeroy facilities and this worked out quite well. There were no instances of any team not having their laundry requirements fulfilled. A significant task was the drop off and pick up of the daily laundry at Esteem and the Pomeroy respectfully. One of the biggest learnings was the magnitude of the overnight laundry requirements. In the future we will have a better understanding of what the requirements would be of Esteem Cleaners who do not work evenings and weekends. Pomeroy Lodging provided 240 “pool” towels for the tournament. Theses towels were of a smaller size and were just adequate. For the future, a bigger sized towel would be more appropriate.
Snack Tables The snack tables were stocked to each team’s satisfaction. The snack table lists provided by Hockey Canada overestimated the quantities of items required by about double. Adjustments were made as the tournament progressed. Next time we would order the chocolate milk in smaller portions. We ordered 500ml containers and 250ml size would have been more appropriate and the milk would have been easier to manage. This was probably the most expensive item of the snack table. We had a refrigerator in our Team Services room which was a must in managing the supplies for the snack table.
Fans The provision of 20” industrial fans for each dressing room was an important factor for the teams to keep their equipment dry. The power availability to run the fans and all the other electrical equipment around the dressing rooms was crucial.
Fort St. John Games Operations 28
Ice Each day we used two large coolers of ice which we picked up at the Pomeroy.
Volunteer Hours I do not have an individual list of volunteer hours. For the work around the dressing rooms we had five individuals who provided approximately 189 man hours of coverage. On the laundry front, we had three individuals who provided approximately 30 hours of coverage. In addition to those directly part of Team Services, there were groups like the Huskies hockey team, students from the hockey academy and others who helped in the movement of equipment and supplies on a daily basis. In regards to my hours prior to the start of the tournament, I probably worked for a month in not only the Team Services area but also with the sponsorship group and also helped out in the Host room area. All in all I think it is safe to say on behalf of myself and our Team Services group the tournament was a positive experience and we got good positive feedback from the teams.
Ice Scrapers The event was a success and brought a lot of different people together. As many different teams as possible where involved in the ice scraping duties: Huskies (junior B) Trackers (midget tier 1) FSJ midget tier 2 FSJ midget tier 3 FSJ midget house Clearview midget girls team Craig Stanley, Dir. of Facilities Diagrams of how the ice scrapers were to do each of their different tasks were created. These were relayed to Jake from Hockey Canada for his approval. A game time script was done up starting at the 60 minute mark before game time. Of course the first couple of games were a bit hectic, but as we refined the script and diagrams, it went very smoothly. We had the best seats in the house as far as watching the games. It will be something that all the volunteers will cherish for a lifetime
Recommendations 1. Inconvenience of having to coordinate the opening of the Zamboni doors to get the ice scrapers out during the TV time outs. 2. Ensuring the safety of the ice scrapers during floods. Not a problem, but we didn't plan ahead for having both on the ice at the same time. It was noted in our hazard assessments though. 3. There was a bit too much foot traffic around the Zamboni doors when the Zambonis were going out and returning. The limited vision directly in front of the Zamboni definitely increased the potential for an incident to occur. We mitigated this by having myself or the ice scraper supervisor standing off to the side in a spot that was highly visible to the Zamboni driver. We would then give the Zamboni driver the “thumbs up” to proceed. 4. For the ice scrapers, we put down 2 layers of rug to ensure we didn't dullen their skates. In an ideal situation, actual skate matting would have been preferable. 5. We did have civilian foot traffic walking through our work area at times. We mitigated this by putting up a portable gate. This pretty well eliminated the problem. Dawson Creek Games Operations 29
Dressing Rooms Four dressing rooms were provided for the tournament. Three of the rooms were all in the same area and were separated by curtains. One team had their own exit to the ice, the team in the middle had to cross the third teams dressing room area. The fourth dressing room was on the other side of the rink and had their own area. The dressing room assignments were created by Hockey Canada for the exhibition games, round robin games and the cross over games. Each dressing room had its own shower and washroom facilities. Teams were able to keep their dressing rooms for the duration of the round robin portion of the tournament. When cross over games occurred, Hockey Canada reassigned rooms.
On ice officials had their own dressing room equipped with shower, washroom facilities and refrigerator.
Team Services Make sure there is a place for teams to look after equipment repairs and provide skate sharpening on-site
Teams brought their own skate sharpener. As teams kept their change rooms for the round robin portion of the tournament, teams were able to set up skate sharpeners in the hallway outside their change rooms and keep them set up. Tables were provided for skate sharpeners. On ice officials were able to get their skates sharpened either by one of the teams or at a local business.
Towel Service The Pomeroy Hotel sponsored the towel service. Each morning a volunteer picked up as many towels as they had ready and returned them at various points during the day and picked up more. We transported the dirty and clean towels in garbage bags. The Pomeroy was nice enough to have the towels in bags of 25 for us when we picked them up. We gave each team a new garbage bag when we gave them their towels to put the used ones in at the end of the practice/game. Prior to the event a pick-up/drop off schedule was created with the Pomeroy to ensure we had enough towels when we needed them. This was helpful to keep everyone on the same schedule and insured we had towels at the correct times.
Laundry Service Dawson Creek Coin Laundry GCM sponsored the laundry service. They provided bags for the players to put their “gitch hitch” in. Dawson Creek Coin Laundry GMC had the practice/game schedule so they were able to pick up and drop off the player laundry at a convenient time and drop it off well ahead of the next practice/game. One of the employees gave each trainer his card so they were able to contact him if needed. There were wheeled carts available to each team so they could put their jerseys, socks and undergarments in and leave outside their dressing room to be collected.
Team Snack Station Each dressing room had a table either inside the change-room, if space permitted, or outside in the hall where snacks were located. We found that each team had their own “favorites” when it came to bagels and fruit. We did our best to accommodate requests. The boys ate a lot of bagels (blueberry and raisin were most popular with one team always requesting whole wheat), Nutella, peanut butter and chocolate milk (1 Milk To Go for each player each game and practice!). Yogurt and apples were not overly popular, but bananas, Cliff Bars and granola bars were. Teams did not make any ridiculous requests that we could not fill. We found that if
Dawson Creek Games Operations 30 something was not there, instead of asking, they bought their own. We kept all of the snacks in a curtained off area that had lockable refrigerators for the milk, yogurt and bagels. Tables were set up to keep the rest of the food organized.
We were lucky to have a local business sponsor the snacks. He had a connection with Wright’s Food Service Ltd., a full service wholesale grocery and delivery service provider, who either delivered food as we needed or we picked up as necessary.
Hockey Canada was asked to provide the snack list as well as portions so we had an idea of quantities. Before each practice/game we asked each team what they required as to make sure we were not wasting food and teams had access to what they needed. On ice officials were also provided with snacks as requested. They did not eat as much as the teams and required mostly chocolate milk, some fruit, water and Gatorade.
Dressing Rooms Fans and heaters for dressing rooms to help dry equipment essential to help with quick turnaround between practices and games. The Encana Event Center provided heaters and fans for the change room areas.
Having dressing rooms prepared for move in of teams well in advance of their arrivals was not a worry during the round robin portion of the tournament as the teams kept their dressing rooms. When the teams started moving, all of their belongings were removed and a lockable cage was provided for each team to keep equipment in if they did not have to or want to move it to Fort St. John. Signs were changed prior to the new team moving in and the custodial crew made sure that rooms were cleaned before the arrival of the new team.
Team service office and storage area There was an office set up for Hockey Canada away from the action. Supplies for various events were kept in a cage near the Zamboni area. There was access to a photocopier, Wi-Fi, computers and phones. A volunteer tent with chairs, tables, couches and snacks was curtained off for the volunteers.
Team Hosts . Team Hosts were assigned to each team (including the officials). Communication with the team hosts prior to the event was done through email. A Team Host meeting was held two weeks before the event, with the operations coordinator and a Host Committee Co-Chair. The Hosts were briefed on their duties. Contact with the teams had already started as host information was sent to Hockey Canada and passed on to the team managers.
The team hosts did an amazing job of making the teams feel part of the community. They were great liaisons between Operations/Host Committee and the teams. Each team host had a cell phone for the event. In all cases they used their own, but we did have arrangements to provide them with one if needed. The Team Hosts: met the teams at the airport made sure the bus was available to take the team where they needed to go (each team had their own bus) assisted with moving equipment assisted with hotel registration liaison with the Encana staff member in charge of meals – arranging times, having snacks and breakfast Dawson Creek Games Operations 31
“to go” assisted the team in knowledge of the city (entertainment, restaurants, hospitals and shopping centers) and with booking arrangements for activities, restaurants, etc. the team hosts were all familiar with the schedule (practice/games), protocol with laundry, snacks and game time. They also were informed to ask the Host Committed before changing arrangements for bussing and meals. got extra supplies when needed ran the camera for the video coach helped arrange transportation of players leaving, new players arriving communication link between hospital and team doctor when a player was injured met with the team in the morning as a check in to see if the team needed anything took team staff to grocery store, pharmacy etc. when necessary
Junior Hosts A junior host was not assigned to each of the teams. We had two junior hosts, one’s father was a host of a team and the other was a grandson of the Chair of the Tournament. Junior hosts were given a number of duties, depending on what the team required of them, and if they were allowed to miss school or not.
Junior hosts: Some met the teams at the airport Assisted with pre-game tasks (filling water bottles, moving sticks to the bench, setting up the room) Equipment move when the team changed communities.
Player Gifting Hockey Canada provided all players with the following: event puck, pin, program, gitch hitch and piece of event apparel personalized name bar for their team room event branded skate mat for their team room winning team received a championship hat and shirt
Medical Services The following was provided to each team in the team information packages: Name, location, phone number of local hospital Name, location, phone number and office hours of walk in clinic Name, location, phone number and office hours of dentist, as well as after hours contact information Name, location, office hours, phone number of Physiotherapist and Chiropractor as well as after hours contact information
The arena had a fully stocked Safety/First Aid room that teams were able to access with supervision of the OnSite Medical Attendees. The Medical Team at the arena consisted of two Level 3 attendances was provided by OnSite Medical. The medical team arrived one hour before the games and contacted the host committee member in charge of medical services to let them know they were in the building. The OnSite Medical Attendees stayed in the same location throughout the tournament so team trainers new their location during games and practices. At the conclusion of the game, the Host Committee suggested the Dawson Creek Games Operations 32
Medical Attendees check with the team trainers to see if their services were needed.
Prior to the event the OnSite Medical Team, Host Committee member in charge of medical services and a Hockey Canada representative met to go over the emergency action plan. Copies of Hockey Canada Injury Report Forms were given to the OnSite Medical Attendees. In a few incidents, players needed to be transported to the hospital, but none that warranted calling an ambulance. In these cases, the team host transported the player and a team representative to the local hospital or medical clinic. The Host Committee member called ahead to the hospital to inform them that a player was coming to the emergency room and why. The Dawson Creek & District Hospital and Eljen Medical clinic did an amazing job of seeing the players quickly so they could return to their team.
On-ice Officials The on ice officials were provided with a shuttle service to transport them to and from the Encana Events Center as well as to Fort St. John. All officials stayed in Dawson Creek but travelled to Fort St. John as assigned. Towel and laundry service was provided as it was for the players. The laundry service was picked up and droped off at their hotel due to officials travelling to and from Fort St. John. Snacks, water, Gatorade and chocolate milk was provided as it was requested. As the officials needed more supplies, they were in contact with the Host Committee member.
Off-Ice Officials Christina was familiar with the arena and had previous volunteers who knew the facility and the roles of being an off-ice official. She provided a list of volunteers and a schedule that provided the following: Two penalty box attendants One timekeeper One scorekeeper Two goal judges One time out coordinator Christina filled out and made sure the game sheets were complete before the game, collected the starting line ups, started the clock count down and made sure game protocol was followed. She was at every game to assist with the off-ice officials and provide backup in case someone did not show. Christina also made sure the game sheets were completed at the end of the game by the officials and handed into Hockey Canada and the media room. A freezer was donated and placed behind the score-keepers bench to keep pucks frozen. Dress Code of black pants and volunteer shirt was in effect. Announcers were two local French Immersion teachers, and a former French Immersion student. They looked after the exhibition, round robin and placement games. A professional announcer was hired to do the medal games.
Fort St. John Media & Communications 33
Overview A comprehensive 2015 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge Marketing Plan was developed in-house by Encana Events Centre marketing staff and ultimately approved by the event Steering Committee.
Marketing Our local marketing and sponsorship activations were led by local businessman, Adam Reaburn, and included working on the pageantry plan for prior to the event. This included contacting local businesses to arrange local signage, promotional hand outs and other requests from Hockey Canada. Our group also co-ordinated the colour commentators and camera crew for Fast Hockey. We also worked to find a volunteer to help Hockey Canada coordinate on site media and scouts.
Ticketing Encana Events Centre (EEC) staff developed a comprehensive seating/ticket manifest for the North Peace Arena and further provided all required hardware/software for ticketing on-site including a scanning system that worked well at the main gate. EEC also provided one of their staff members to manage and coordinate ticket sales at the NPA during the event. Tickets could be purchased on-line and were also available at the NPA. Our local team consisted of six to seven volunteers for each game. Two members on computers selling tickets, one volunteer at will-call, one volunteer handing out hats and guiding crowds, and three individuals with ticket scanners. We had positive feedback from fans and the lineups went through fairly quickly.
Dawson Creek Media & Communications 34
Overview: Live Statistics: Our 8 volunteers worked closely with Stacey Couch from BC Hockey/Hockey Canada to input the game stats live throughout the event. We did a short training session for some of the volunteers, but most had volunteered in previous events and had a good, basic understanding of the online software. There were a few times when system issues prevented the live updates from working correctly, but the volunteers, with help from Stacey, were able to adapt and update things once the system became live again. Overall this group of eight volunteers performed well.
Music Our committee inherited the music responsibilities for the Dawson Creek tournament games about a week and a half prior to the event. I purchased and downloaded a music program and a number of songs during the week leading up to the event. One person volunteered to look after the music for every game. She started out with very little familiarity with the program or with the playlist that I had provided. She quickly gained confidence and was able to handle the duties effectively throughout the tournament.
Announcers I did not schedule the announcers, but our team worked closely with them throughout the tournament. All three local volunteers did well in both English and French. The game scripts/counts provided by Hockey Canada took most of the guesswork out of the job.
Interviews I looked after lining up interviews for the Fast Hockey and TSN broadcasts during the Dawson Creek games. I worked closely with Francis Dupont from Hockey Canada in the selection of the interviewees. I also escorted each interviewee to the appropriate both as scheduled.
Recommendations There are only a few minor issues that would need to be resolved, if we were to host an event like this again in the future. The communication between the scorekeeper’s box and our media booth was sometimes limited or not done in a timely manner. This was a result of the many things that were happening all at the same time down at ice level. Also, there was confusion during the TV timeouts and during the intermissions when the “person in the stands” was using the microphone. We were not cued to lower the music volume, and often the “person in the stands” was hard to hear. If we had a cue, or even knew where to locate the “person in the stands,” things would have gone more smoothly. The new announcers from Fort St. John did a very good job, but having them arrive for the two most important games of the event meant for another transition. We had already established a good working rapport with the local announcers and there was another level of stress involved in getting to know the two new people during the games that had our team already feeling anxious and nervous about their performance. In future events, keeping a team intact for the entire event would be a better approach. Overall, the Media Team performed well in many roles that were not entirely familiar to them. Each and every member of the team appreciated the opportunity to be part of such an amazing event and would gladly volunteer again if needed.
Marketing 35
Encana Events Centre Marketing Recap U17 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge: The first step in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence, the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge includes three Canadian teams and five international entries in a tournament that showcases of the future stars of the game. The tournament is attended by every NHL scout in North America as well as some from the European leagues and includes Nationally televised coverage by TSN
Goal- Establish overall event awareness: Engaging in cross promotion in the Region Using current business/building partners & developing new key relationships Window/door wraps, newspaper wraps, posters, pizza box stickers, table toppers, coasters, tray liners, coffee sleeves, handbills, floor decals, t-shirts, hats, ticket jackets
Ticket Sales: Provided a wide variety of ticket packages targeted at various groups (All Game with a commemorative hat, Family Packs, Evening & Day 4 Packs) Got into the communities with a mobile box office in key locations Offered short term ticket promotions based on sales data (2 For $40) Beat event ticket sales record from 2008 when the event was held in London, Ontario.
Engaged community involvement and support: Numerous Local contests-See attached Chamber Of Commerce sample: Paint The Town Red, White & Gold Presence at community events- parades, block parties, music festivals, kids sports registration days All available static & digital signage in our Region welcomed this event Restaurants, banks, insurance companies, coffee shops, sport stores & grocery stores participated by having staff wear t-shirts 1week prior & during the event
Enhanced the overall event experience: World Cup selfie station & photo booth images during event Branded bam sticks, cowbells and foam fingers Mascot appearances & photos with fans Pageantry displays- alumni banners, championship banners, giant hockey jerseys
4 Month Marketing Campaign In 3 Regions- $25,000 The 2015 U17 World Hockey Tournament was a huge success. This can be attributed to the venues strong relationships with regional partners & media, a guerrilla marketing grassroots campaign that complemented the overall marketing plan and strategy as well as quick turnaround and actions of staff and vendors.
Marketing 36
Results/Revenue Generated Sales tracking . Sold just over $12,000 in first day of single game ticket mobile box office sales in Fort St. John . Sold out of all early bird game packages that came with a tournament hat and a coupon for free pizza bread at Boston Pizza - $34,000. . Sold out of Family 4 Packs & 2 For $40 specials . Beat the sales record for this tournament with $137,248.00 in ticket sales
Third party . Received over $57,920 in value from media partners . Social media contesting on third party sites raised engagement, likes and views of our site. Received over 3.3 million dollars in advertising worldwide in PR (Meltwater Report) Number of entrants to contests (entrants sign an opt in to our venue database) . Mobile Box Office - 432 . Retail Locations - 817 . Other Events - 309 Fall Fair & Fall Fair Parade - 2000 people present at the parade who received ON SALE SOON cards that were redeemable for a prize at Touch a Truck and invited to a Hockey Skills Competition with Hockey Canada mascot, Puckster-131 Fall Fair Attendance 25,000 Attendance at shows where static graphics or video of the tournament was shown-2900 Using Spectra Google Search Marketing, we saw a ROA of $15.90 with over 101,830 impressions and 1,896 clicks. The revenue spent from $1000 was $15,869.50. Using Spectra Retargeting, we saw a ROA of $12.80 -$9.00, with over 168,593 impressions over Facebook and Web with a revenue of $29,357.25 with $1000 being spent for the marketing.
What Worked Well: Anything we controlled worked very well- from partnerships with all media groups in the region, to online I interactive marketing techniques to mobile box office days and grassroots.
Media- all media involved were very engaged, wanted to be part of the event and provided a great return on our investment in terms of sponsoring the event and provided added value to the marketing.
Grassroots: Having businesses decaled, to staff wearing tshirts and using branded items like coasters, coffee sleeves and tray liners- It was great to see places all decked out to promote the tournament.
Hockey Canada - they were great to work with - the items they provided were great additions-foam fingers, cow bells, etc.. The video team provided great assets to the building and we received some of our highest social media #'s thanks to a video on the event. Marketing 37
What would we do different: We tried to rely on organizations from the Chamber of Commerce and municipal staff to undertake some events to ensure both communities received ample promotions. Not all were successful or done well. This is something we would undertake ourselves if we had more time I staff.
More events- would have been great to tie in the tournament to other events for more promotions. It would have been great to see more buy in from groups to do things at the tournament as well.
Better communications-there was some disconnect from the venue doing all the marketing and then having a committee of volunteers who were overseeing all other aspects-there was parts unknown of who was doing what and what the committee was in charge of and what the venue was in charge of- would be great to have a solid plan and know who is who and what is what.
More Markets- If we had more time, we would have loved to have more of the outlying markets be marketed too- whether it would be part of a community event or taking mobile box office around (like Rock My Town Tour} or working with local groups in those communities to further promote the event. The major markets had a pride of hosting the event and it would have been nice to see that in other smaller communities.
Fort St. John- If we could do it differently, we would have liked to have had 1of the marketers in Fort ST. John for a period of time, maybe a month or two- before the tournament to ensure activations of promotions were started and were successful- it would have been great to have known all staff in FSJ and worked with them to ensure the event was being marketed in terms of social media, media presence and having those neat stories told.
Ticket Sales: ticket sales were great but if we had more time, create different packages, offer ticket incentives, tie in promo marketing with suppliers- Molson, Pepsi- companies that have a greater reach in the region and work with stores. We would have been able to create in store materials, had pop up signs I info at locations such as BC Liquor, 7-11, etc.. Would be great to start a dialogue with Griffin's Sports in DC as we have an excellent relationship with Ernie's in FSJIGP and be nice to tie in that final piece for future sport events.
Encana Events Centre Pagentry Recap World Under 17 Hockey Challenge: The first step in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence, the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge includes three Canadian teams and five international entries in a tournament that showcases the future stars of the game. The tournament is attended by every N H L s c o u t in North America as well as some from the European leagues and includes Nationally televised coverage by TSN
Marketing 38
Dawson Creek & Fort St. John Pageantry EEC Front Door Wrap EEC Arena Entrance Floor Decal EEC Upper lobby Giant Jersey & Cup EEC Upper lobby Alumni Banners EEC Rink Championship Banners EEC Rink Sponsorship Banners EEC Rink 2 x Giant Jerseys NPA Entrance Floor Decal NPA Giant Jersey NPA Sponsor Banners NPA Alumni Banners Boston Pizza Front Windows & in store displays Canadian Tire Entrance Windows & in store displays Royal Bank Windows & Wickets Clinic Drugstore Front Windows and in store displays Western Financial Insurance Windows and in store displays Ernie's Sports Experts Hockey Canada In store displays
The 2015 U17 pageantry accomplished the following: Increased local awareness of the importance and economic impact of the event Provided a framework to guide and mobilize stakeholder involvement in raising awareness, excitement and participation levels Raised outside awareness of our community's ability to offer exciting cultural, entertainment, and leisure experiences Increased the success of the community's sport events sector in creating a positive impact on the local tourism economy Improved the quality of the event experience in order to make it more attractive and memorable for event attendees Enhanced the profile of community stakeholders and businesses (Hockey Canada's National partners & sponsors)
The Pageantry that was displayed in the communities for the 2015 Under 17 World Hockey Challenge encouraged active participation of event attendees, and in doing so made the event more dynamic. Dawson Creek Special Events 39
Opening Ceremony This event went by very smoothly. The delegates for the evening arrived on time and met down at the penalty box. Six flag bearers from minor hockey skated out onto the ice. A local singer sang the national anthem and did an amazing job. Puck drop was completed and dignitaries came off the ice.
Games Pre-game Each game required 2 flag bearers and 1 puck dropper. Minor hockey players and figure skaters helped in this aspect with flag bearers wearing McDonalds Jerseys and the puck dropper wearing an Esso jersey. With help from minor hockey directors we had all positions filled for these jobs. We had these children arrive 30-45 minutes prior to the game. The one Special Events Director went over the duties of the flag bearers while the other explained the duties of the puck dropper. During this time we split responsibilities in seeing them onto the ice.
T.V Timeouts Each game had one t.v. time out per period. By the semifinals we then had 2 per period and during the Gold Medal games it was three t.v. time outs per period. The first games we required a minimum of 4 ice scrapers which we increased to 6-8 once we got to the finals. We had difficulty filling these shifts and used flag bearers and City Staff until with the help of minor hockey and figure skating we were able to fill the rest of the shifts. Ice scraper rules had to be decided as to who required to wear a helmet. With Skate Canada rules the figure skaters did not require to wear helmets. Our main concern at the time was them pulling out to help as they stated they would not participate if helmets had to be worn.
Along with ice scraping it was at this time we had either our MC/Fanster in the stands doing trivia questions with the audience to win prizes or we had the mascot Puckster handing out tattoos and pins. It was at this time and during intermissions where we had to learn our timings for being on the microphone and on the ice down to 60 seconds.
Intermissions During intermission we had a variety of activities going on to keep the audience entertained. Three mini games were played throughout the week and this all went smoothly thanks to the team’s coaches. It took a little time getting the younger kids on to the ice which cut their game time down by quite a bit. We found by having the Game Official hit the buzzer at 2 minute mark we were able to stay on time with getting off the ice. We learned this lesson from our first intermission when we were 3 minutes over due to no microphone and not knowing our time limits. The audience participated in a variety of races as well as we had the GM dealership in town throw out t-shirts from their vehicles, cheque presentations and the naming of the walking track.
Post-Game We did not realize we were responsible for player of the game awards until after the first game Dawson Creek Special Events 40 was over. After that we insured the delegates met the last 5 minutes of the 3rd period to be ready to present the awards. At this time we walked the presenters through the process. There were times when presenters changed their minds on presenting or we had only one presenter (found this out during puck drop). When this occurred we asked the Esso puck drop child if he/she would assist again at the end of the game. This actually worked out quite well.
Closing Recommendations This definitely was a three person job as we utilized an assistant to help organize children before intermissions, help the MC in the stands and find fans for intermission games.
Another issue was coordinating the T.V. timeouts and intermissions with the sound booth. The MC/Fanster would be talking and music would continue to play or the sound from the microphone was muffled.
It was a learning process and we think most things would have run more smoothly knowing specifics i.e. timing. This is no fault to anyone as we only came on board 2 ½ weeks prior to the tournament. As well when organizing an event, the event is maintained by staying on a plan and this type of event requires a lot of last minute changes. In the future we would have all this broken down to be prepared.
Appendix I- Finance Budget to Actual 41 Appendix II- Key Marketing Material 42
Appendix II- Key Marketing Material 43
Appendix II- Key Marketing Material 44
Appendix II- Key Marketing Material 45
Appendix III- Sponsorship Deck 46
Appendix III- Sponsorship Deck 47
Appendix III- Sponsorship Deck 48
Appendix III- Sponsorship Deck 49
Appendix III- Sponsorship Deck 50
Appendix IV- Sponsorship Revenue 51
Appendix V- Sponsorship Invoice Template 52
Appendix VI- Sponsorship LOA Template 53
Appendix VI- Sponsorship LOA Template 54
Appendix VI- Sponsorship LOA Template 55
Appendix VI- Sponsorship LOA Template 56
Appendix VII- Sponsorship Thank You Letter 57
Appendix VIII- Sponsorship Appreciation Cert 58
Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan 59
Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan 60
Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan 61
Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan 62
Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan 63
Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan 64
Appendix IX- Ticketing Plan 65